OpenAI has appointed Aaron “Ronnie” Chatterji, Duke University professor of business and public policy and former White House CHIPS coordinator, as OpenAI’s first Chief Economist.
In this new role, Chatterji will lead research into how AI will influence economic growth and job creation; including the global economic impacts of building AI infrastructure, insights on longer-term labor market trends, and how to help the current and future workforce harness the benefits of this technology.
Chatterji is currently the Mark Burgess & Lisa Benson-Burgess Distinguished Professor of Business and Public Policy at Duke University. He served as the Biden White House’s CHIPS coordinator, overseeing the execution of the $52 billion CHIPS and Science Act; as Acting Deputy Director of the White House National Economic Council; and as the Chief Economist of the US Department of Commerce. He also served as a senior economist on President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers and on multiple statewide advisory commissions on economic policy in North Carolina. He has published two books and over 30 peer-reviewed articles in top journals in strategic management, economics, finance and organizational studies.
“My career has focused on studying how innovation and entrepreneurship shape our economy and society, and I am excited to apply my skills to support OpenAI’s mission to ensure that the benefits of artificial intelligence are widely distributed. I look forward to contributing to research that helps inform how we transition to an AI-driven economy,” said Ronnie Chatterji.
“Like electricity, AI holds the potential to revolutionize our economy by accelerating innovation and boosting productivity. Dr. Chatterji’s deep understanding of the dynamics that shape our economy and society will guide OpenAI’s mission to create AI tools that fuel growth, solve complex challenges, and foster long-term prosperity,” said Larry Summers, OpenAI Board Member and former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
