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Economics

Is there an AI bubble and what happens if it bursts?
Traders at the New York Stock Exchange looking at monitors.

Wall Street rides an AI-fueled rally that has pushed major indices to new highs that’s driven largely by a handful of dominant tech firms. As enthusiasm around artificial intelligence reshapes markets and concentrates risk, questions are mounting about whether the surge reflects durable growth or the familiar shape of a speculative bubble. Wharton finance crises expert Itay Goldstein explains how bubbles form, why they can be so dangerous, and what today’s AI boom shares—and does not—with past market madness like the one described in “The Big Short.”
 

(Image: Getty / Spencer Platt)

Is there an AI bubble and what happens if it bursts?

Wharton’s Itay Goldstein discusses financial bubbles, the mechanics of betting against them, and the risks facing the AI boom.

3 min. read

Breaking down misconceptions on unconditional cash programs
Three people sitting at front of room with slideshow behind them.

School of Social Policy & Practice Dean Sara S. Bachman (left) introduced an event on economics as part of the Politics of Well-Being series. SP2 alumnus Karim Sharif (second from left) moderated a discussion with associate professors Amy Castro and Ioana Marinescu.

(Image: Carson Easterly/School of Social Policy & Practice)

Breaking down misconceptions on unconditional cash programs

As part of the Politics of Well-Being series, associate professors Amy Castro and Ioana Marinescu shared findings from their research on guaranteed income and universal basic income.

3 min. read

The path from labs to the marketplace
A model of teeth used for dental practice.

“We saw vast, untapped potential in dental medicine, where translating and commercializing academic discoveries still lags,” says Hyun (Michel) Koo, CiPD’s co-founder and director. “With mounting evidence linking oral and systemic health, we can turn CiPD’s innovations into real-world solutions that reduce the burden of oral diseases and improve overall health.” 

(Image: Courtesy of William and Phyllis Mack Institute for Innovation Management)

The path from labs to the marketplace

Penn’s William and Phyllis Mack Institute for Innovation Management helps scientists develop their business acumen and access partners to help bring their breakthroughs to market.

From the William and Phyllis Mack Institute for Innovation Management

2 min. read

How might AI shape the future of work?
Headshots of Konrad Kording (left) and Ioana Marinescu (right).

Konrad Kording and Ioana Marinescu. 

Image: Eric Sucar (left) and Carson Easterly (right)

How might AI shape the future of work?

Computer scientist Konrad Kording and economist Ioana Marinescu have developed an interactive model that incorporates assumptions from both their fields to predict how AI will affect wages, jobs, and the overall economy.

4 min. read