Issues

Running Out of Time: The Impact and Value of Flexibility in On-Demand Crowdwork

Workers in on-demand digital labor markets often have little control over their schedules. Giving workers more control yields more work product without loss of quality. Workers value control of their pace of work.

Demographics and Automation

Some predict that economic growth will slow in countries with rapidly aging populations. But data shows that firms respond to scarcity of middle-aged workers by automating. These firms become more productive.

Navigating Talent Hot Spots

Cities like Boston and Beijing are talent “hot spots.” Firms need a presence in these hot spots but relocating to such areas is costly. Firms use three different strategies to establish ties to talent hot spots, while limiting cost and disruption.

The Federal Trade Commission's Inner Privacy Struggle

The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) privacy cases involve attorneys in the Bureau of Consumer Protection and economists in the Bureau of Economics, who are skeptical of privacy crusades. In future, the Bureau of Economics will play a larger role.

The Gift of Global Talent: How Migration Shapes Business, Economy & Society

Global talent flows drive innovation and economic growth. High-skilled workers are drawn to destinations where they can work with other skilled workers. Immigration tends to benefit everyone, although it will always be controversial because of losses to those displaced by migration.

Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) now offer improved predictions, which will reduce uncertainty and lead to the redesign of business strategies. AI will affect jobs, the concentration of corporate power, privacy, and politics around the world.

Law, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) will be widely used for social and commercial purposes. AR and VR will sometimes be used to harm others, testing the limits of criminal, civil, and constitutional law.

Global Collaborative Patents

Some firms based in the United States file collaborative patents on inventions made by teams with members inside and outside the United States. This collaborative innovation is growing in importance. Collaborative patents tend to be of high quality.

Algorithmic Bias? An Empirical Study of Apparent Gender-Based Discrimination in the Display of STEM Career Ads

The use of algorithms to make decisions can lead to bias; one algorithm displayed a “gender neutral” ad to more men than women. The algorithm was designed to be cost-effective; because advertisers pay more to display ads to young women, the ad was shown to fewer women.

How Effective is Black-Box Digital Consumer Profiling and Audience Delivery?: Evidence from Field Studies

Little is known about how data brokers create consumer profiles for use in marketing. Analysis shows that digital profiles purporting to identify consumers by age and gender are often inaccurate. Advertisers globally waste $7 billion annually buying such profiles.