380 Experts, Including Nobel Laureates, Call for Urgent Action on AI's Economic and Social Impacts
A global manifesto by over 380 experts, including Nobel laureates, calls for immediate government and institutional action to address AI's fast-approaching economic and social challenges.
- • 380 experts, including 15 Nobel laureates, launched an international manifesto on AI's economic and social effects.
- • The manifesto warns AI could trigger a transformation bigger than the Industrial Revolution in a shorter time.
- • Key risks cited include job losses, income concentration, and growing inequality.
- • An international agenda is proposed emphasizing research, regulation, and inclusive benefits from AI advancements.
Key details
On July 13, 2026, an international coalition of approximately 380 prominent economists, researchers, scientists, and technology leaders released a manifesto titled "We Must Act Now," urging immediate global mobilization to address the profound economic and social consequences of artificial intelligence (AI). Organized by the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, the document includes contributions from 15 Nobel Prize winners in Economics and top Silicon Valley figures, signaling a significant shift from focusing only on AI's existential risks to emphasizing its near-term economic impacts.
The manifesto warns that AI could drive an economic transformation surpassing even the Industrial Revolution, and at an unprecedented speed. Experts such as Erik Brynjolfsson, Anton Korinek, Ajay Agrawal, and Tom Cunningham highlight risks including rapid job displacement, increasing income concentration among AI technology controllers, and worsening economic inequality. Brynjolfsson stresses the importance of guiding AI development to complement, rather than replace, human labor.
Korinek emphasized urgency by stating, "Waiting for certainty will be too late," noting that policy development traditionally takes years, while AI advances in months. The manifesto calls for an international agenda focused on expanding research investments into AI's economic impacts, establishing institutions to monitor technological evolution, and creating regulatory frameworks to ensure AI benefits are broadly distributed.
While the document stops short of definitive forecasts, it suggests AI could significantly enhance productivity and living standards if managed well, but without proper planning, it risks deepening inequalities. This collective expert appeal comes at a critical moment in Brazil and worldwide, urging governments, universities, and companies to proactively study and shape AI's integration in society before widespread disruption occurs.
This landmark manifesto represents a global consensus that the pertinent question is no longer if AI will transform economies but how such transformations can be managed equitably and sustainably.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
