Erik Brynjolfsson is one of the world’s most influential economists studying artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and the future of work. He is the Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Professor at Stanford University, Director of the Digital Economy Lab at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, and a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. His research focuses on how AI, machine learning, and digital technologies reshape productivity, business strategy, economic growth, and organisational performance.
A leading authority on AI and the digital economy, Brynjolfsson has spent decades analysing how emerging technologies influence companies, industries, and labour markets. His work shows that the next wave of innovation will not simply automate jobs but reorganise work, enabling people and intelligent systems to collaborate in new ways. According to his research, generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT and Midjourney are likely to affect a majority of knowledge work tasks, transforming how organisations create value, design jobs, and structure teams.
Brynjolfsson’s work emphasises that the greatest economic gains from artificial intelligence will come from business transformation, not technology alone. Organisations that redesign workflows, develop human–AI collaboration, and invest in skills such as creativity, problem solving, and interpersonal leadership will capture the most value. His insights help senior leaders understand how to implement AI responsibly while improving productivity, innovation, and long-term competitiveness.
He is the New York Times bestselling co-author of
Machine, Platform, Crowd, two landmark books explaining how digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and network technologies are reshaping global business and society who he wrote with Andrew McAfee His research has also explored how digital goods create value in ways traditional economic metrics fail to capture. To address this gap, he helped develop GDP-B, a new framework designed to measure the real benefits consumers receive from digital products and services that may be free but economically significant.
Recognised globally as one of the most cited scholars on artificial intelligence and productivity, Brynjolfsson has been named multiple times to the Thinkers50 list of leading management thinkers. His work provides leaders, policymakers, and organisations with a clear understanding of how AI will reshape industries—from media and finance to healthcare, manufacturing, and government.
As a keynote speaker, Erik Brynjolfsson helps organisations understand how artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and data-driven technologies will redefine strategy, leadership, and economic growth in the coming decade, and what leaders must do today to prepare for the AI-driven economy.