What Do We Owe Each Other in the Age of AI?

Please note that this event is in-person only, and RSVPs are requested to attend. Walk-ins are welcome.

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The 2026-27 Arrow Lecture features Betsey Stevenson discussing transformative AI, policy, and a vision for shared societal progress.

Artificial intelligence promises to make us richer. But will it make our lives better? At this event, economist Betsey Stevenson will draw on economic history and research on happiness and meaning to demonstrate why greater productivity does not automatically translate into human flourishing. She will explore how we can turn AI’s promise into shared progress by pacing job transformation, returning shares of AI-generated wealth to the public, and strengthening sources of meaning beyond paid employment. The goal, Stevenson will argue, is not to preserve every job or reject technological change but to build a society in which our worth as human beings does not depend on outperforming a machine.

Speakers:

💡 Betsey Stevenson is a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Lyft, Inc and a faculty research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a fellow of the Ifo Institute for Economic Research in Munich, and an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance. Previously, she served as a member of the Biden-Harris transition team at the U.S. Treasury, a member of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers and the Chief Economist of the U.S. Department of Labor. Dr. Stevenson has published widely in leading economics journals about the labor market and the impact of AI and public policies on labor market outcomes and well-being. Dr. Stevenson earned a B.A. in economics and mathematics from Wellesley College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.

Discussant:

💡 Lukas Althoff is Assistant Professor of Economics at Stanford University. Althoff studies long-run economic progress and inequality, using tools from applied microeconomics and economic history. Most recently, he is studying how artificial intelligence and other technologies impact labor markets and scientific discovery.

This event will have a videographer and photographer present to document the event. No personal recordings (audio or visual) are allowed. By attending, you consent for your image to be used for Stanford-related promotions and materials. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

If you require disability-related accommodation, please contact [email protected] as soon as possible or at least 7 business days in advance of the event.

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Learn more about the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society.