The economics of AI remains surprisingly understudied, even as technical progress in artificial intelligence continues rapidly. The Stripe Economics of AI Fellowship aims to help fill that gap by supporting foundational academic research in the area.
We invite graduate students and early-career researchers who are interested in studying the economics of AI to apply, regardless of prior experience. Fellows receive a grant of at least $10k, participate in conferences with leading economists and technologists, and have the potential to access unique data via Stripe and its customers. Our initial cohort will include 15-20 fellows, and will form the foundation of a community at the bleeding edge of economic research.
While we welcome researchers interested in any aspect of the economics of AI, broadly defined, we are particularly interested in supporting high-impact research that:
- is focused on the economics of transformative AI
- is forward-looking
- is expected to be of durable importance, and
- moves fast.
Apply now
The application should take less than 30 minutes. Fellows are not required to have a project proposal to apply. Applications close on April 15.
Apply here.
What does the fellowship program include?
Beyond financial support of at least $10k (see next FAQ), the fellowship includes:
1. Community: A community of like-minded researchers studying the economic implications of AI.
2. Conference: Funding to attend an exclusive conference in San Francisco (early summer 2025), featuring leading economists and technologists in this space. Fellows will be asked to present a brief project proposal, and invited to participate in follow-up conferences to present and get feedback on preliminary results.
3. Opportunity for data: The opportunity to gain access to unique datasets through Stripe and its customers.
How much funding do fellows receive?
Fellows receive a baseline grant of $10,000. Applicants may request additional funding with justification, for example if funding for a data purchase would accelerate research progress. Graduate students are encouraged to request sufficient funding to buy out a unit of teaching or research assistantship, if they have a specific project idea which a buyout would provide time to work on.
What is expected of fellows?
Fellows are expected to:
- Continue and accelerate existing work on the economics of AI, or to pledge a good-faith effort to work on at least one research project on the topic.
- Present a brief research proposal at our initial conference.
Our goal is to support rigorous, innovative research on the economics of AI – broadly defined – that advances the field and merits publication in top journals. We are particularly interested in high-impact research that:
1. is focused on the economics of transformative AI
2. is forward-looking
3. is expected to be of durable importance, and
4. moves fast.
By “transformative” AI, we mean AI technology that precipitates change on the scale of the industrial or agricultural revolutions (see here for more detail and a list of related papers, from Stanford’s Digital Economy Lab).
Who is eligible to apply?
• We expect most of the initial fellows to be grad students or early-career researchers (including postdocs, assistant professors, etc.) in economics.
• Researchers from any country are eligible to apply.
• Prior experience in AI economics is welcome but not required; exceptional candidates without any background in the field are encouraged to apply, including researchers in departments outside of economics.
• Fellows are not required to have a project proposal to apply.
Who will review applications?
A panel of economists with a background in the economics of AI will review each application.
When can I apply?
The first call for applications closes on April 15 at 10pm, PT. Decisions will be released on or before April 25.
Additional questions?
Please direct any questions to Basil Halperin ([email protected]), who is leading the fellowship program with Stripe. Feel free to comment here on the EA Forum as well.
