In a new report, principal research scientist Andrew McAfee explores the implications of generative AI in economic growth. Fears over a steep drop in labor demand are "probably overblown," McAfee writes. "The history of general-purpose technologies shows that the growth they bring is accompanied by strong demand for labor."

The administration this past week announced a new rule that will require coal plants and new gas plants to install carbon-capture technology to mitigate 90 percent of their emissions. "What we've seen, even without these rules, is that coal generation is falling. These new rules will certainly push to speed that transition up," says professor Christopher Knittel.

Senior lecturer Paul McDonagh-Smith says: "AI skills are not overly abundant, so organizations need programs to upskill and train employees on technical skills and technical decision-making. Culture is a big part of the equation: organizations will need to create silo-busting cross-functional teams, make failure permissible to encourage creativity, and encourage innovative ways to combine human and machine capabilities in complementary systems."

Visiting professor Eric Rosengren says: "Countries that have experimented with political 'consultation' on monetary policy have experienced prolonged periods of inflation. The most recent example is Turkey, whose inflation rate is currently 68 percent — the result of politics driving Turkey's monetary policy decisions."

Associate professor Emil Verner says: "What we are trying to understand in our research is what do bank failures look like throughout history and which types of theories of banking failures and crisis are most consistent with the history of bank failures." (00:40)

Google's tactics against employees may come back to bite them, warns Professor Emeritus Thomas Kochan. "It's laying the foundation for the next set of protests and for inflaming concerns of employees. They may be able to suppress any particular action at one point in time, but they won't be able to suppress the interest of employees having a voice."

In this podcast, senior lecturer James Rhee discusses how clothing company Ashley Stewart went from death to stardom because it became a place and brand of belonging, not fashion. How success came, not from communication, but connection.

The most striking work here, the result of the pairing of artist Raquel Fornasaro and professor John Sterman, is an outdoor installation called Regenerate and it showcases a natural bathtub crafted from tree branches, used plastic gloves, and recycled paper embedded with seeds. Sterman is the originator of the Carbon Bathtub, a visual analog for understanding climate change dynamics.

Leadership classes have proliferated at business schools in recent years, becoming one of the sought-after executive education subjects for rising executives starting — or in the middle of — their leadership journey. Post-covid, these classes have become even more popular with new year-long certificate programs at MIT Sloan School of Management and other schools, giving students a chance to delve into the topic in a more in-depth way.

Professor Yasheng Huang told China Daily that while there is intense competition between the world's two largest economies, "competition itself does not destroy relationships. Economic competition makes countries strong. I think that (the US-China relationship) is slowly improving. I think there are many problems in economic issues. But as long as there is no war, both sides can come to a solution on the economic issue. I'm cautiously optimistic."

Professor Joseph Doyle writes: "Using information from a patient's medical record — including lab results, provider notes, and images such as CT scans — along with genomic data, prior insurance claims, and environmental information, machine learning algorithms can substantially improve diagnostic testing. They can also support decision-making tools for providers to improve guideline adherence."

Research scientist Christian Catalini writes: "With regards to everything from securities laws and financial market infrastructure to stablecoins, the time to act on crypto regulation is now. Otherwise, these protocols and the economic growth they promise will develop elsewhere."

Gaurav Verma (MBA '23), Zach Wayne (MBAn '23), Jason Teno (LGO: MBA '23), Zachary Bell (MBAn '23), and Ayush Shukla (MBAn '23) write: "While it's always tempting for the NFL to stick with tradition, it can do better than the Scouting Combine and Pro Day circuit. Not only does the league have an opportunity to create a more efficient and more effective tryout process, but it can also develop one that's more entertaining, more respectful and more inclusive, too."

Professor S.P. Kothari and senior lecturer Robert Pozen write: "Many economists and political commentators wonder why U.S. consumers continue to feel they are suffering from inflation, although the annual rate of inflation dropped sharply during 2023 and is still well below its peak in the summer of 2022. The answer is that consumers have a broader time horizon. They are looking at the rate of price increases over the past three years."