Tag: Technology

Commentary, Development

COMMENTARY: AI in Agriculture: Transforming Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa

Eric Gao

Paul Squatrito, University of Oregon -- Sub-Saharan Africa stands at a pivotal juncture. The region’s population is projected to double by 2050, exceeding 2.5 billion people, placing immense pressure on food systems already struggling to meet demand. Compounding this challenge are climate-induced disruptions, post-harvest inefficiencies, and limited access to modern agricultural inputs. With over 280 million people facing food insecurity, technological innovation is not merely an option but a necessity. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a potent force, capable of addressing systemic inefficiencies, predicting risks, and optimizing agricultural productivity. Yet, the integration of AI into agriculture is fraught with challenges, including technological inequities and the potential displacement of rural labor.

Commentary, Law and Economics

COMMENTARY: Much Ado About Thinking Machines: Regulatory Paths for Policymakers

Karthick Arunachalam

Thomas Sarsfield, University of Missouri - Saint Louis -- "I propose to consider the question, 'Can machines think?'" So asked Alan Turing in his landmark research essay Computing Machinery and Intelligence in 1950. Six years later, at a conference at Dartmouth College in 1956, researchers would coin the term 'Artificial Intelligence.' At the time, many of the researchers believed a 'thinking machine' would reach human-level intelligence within a generation, and capital began to pour into research projects aiming to advance AI technology.

Commentary

COMMENTARY: DataU: How Much Are You Worth Online?

Karthick Arunachalam

Lily Haak, University of Florida -- In 2010, before the wave of hyper-consumerism and big data engulfed digital markets, author and academic Debra Satz penned “Why Some Things Should Not Be for Sale.” Satz identifies the qualities of repugnant markets—like those for human kidneys or for services that exploit women’s reproductive abilities, child labor, etc.—and qualifies them all as both economically unviable and ethically compromising. Since Dr. Satz published her book, the tech sector has progressed considerably, with the adoption of social media as a full-fledged marketplace. But as consumers reap the benefits of remote online browsing and enhanced accessibility, they’re inadvertently sacrificing components of their privacy. In this new digital landscape, how do we assess the risks of selling our data—are we being bought and sold digitally?

Commentary, Environment

COMMENTARY: AI and the Green Transition

Karthick Arunachalam

Sriman Thangaraj, American University -- The world sits at a critical juncture, facing unprecedented environmental challenges such as climate change and resource depletion. Amidst these pressing concerns, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful ally. This transformative technology holds immense potential to drive sustainability across various sectors, paving the way for a greener future. 

Uncategorized

Analyzing the Effects of Geopolitical Shocks on the Cryptocurrency Market

Karthick Arunachalam

Tucker Saland, Princeton University -- The Russo-Ukrainian war had an asymmetric effect on cryptocurrency prices, with some cryptocurrencies appreciating and functioning as hedges against geopolitical risk, even as the rest of the market experienced a downturn. In the aftermath of the war, exchange-level data indicates that individuals in Russia and Ukraine purchased increased amounts of Tether, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar. This paper has two objectives: (1) examine whether there exists a geopolitical risk premium in the cross-section of cryptocurrency returns using a rolling regression of excess weekly returns on the geopolitical risk index by Caldara, Iacoviello (2018) and control factors, and (2) understand the role of stablecoins during times of geopolitical turmoil.

Commentary

COMMENTARY: How Tech Companies Have Exploited the Defenseless

Karthick Arunachalam

Andrew Zeng, Stanford University -- The cost of recruiting a tester for a large language model (LLM) in the United States is incredibly high. It’s certainly higher than the cost of recruiting a tester from a job-starved country from the Global South. So in the search for scalability and profits, frontier AI companies have been recruiting testers from third-world countries, where pay is low and regulations are lax. The results for their employees have often been heartwrenching.

Commentary

COMMENTARY: El Salvador’s Bitcoin Adoption: The Great Cryptocurrency Experiment

Karthick Arunachalam

Kyle Feinstein, Stanford University -- After much anticipation, Bitcoin City has met its end. The futuristic city was first announced at the 2021  Latin American Bitcoin and Blockchain Conference along with a 10 billion USD bond investment. This urban oasis was a symbol of El Salvador’s unprecedented decision to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021. The metropolis was to be built at the base of the Conchagua volcano and serve as a hub for cryptocurrency mining and foreign investment. Bitcoin City’s strategic location offered a steady source of geothermal energy for bitcoin mining; to enhance its appeal, the city would also not collect income taxes. As a testament to El Salvador’s ambitious efforts to integrate cryptocurrency into the national economy, Bitcoin City had a circular layout, invoking the shape of a coin.

Commentary

LONG-FORM COMMENTARY: The True Cause of Silicon Valley Bank’s Collapse

Karthick Arunachalam

Andrew Zeng, Stanford University -- On March 10th, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank, a premier financial institution in the startup world, suddenly collapsed. The federal government soon seized its assets, and as its clients tried, increasingly in vain, to withdraw their deposits, panic soon set in. Wealthy, platformed individuals began demanding that the government bail out the bank and compensate them, while news anchors and financial analysts predicted a ripple effect that would irreversibly end the dominance of Silicon Valley.