The Dispute Index

Brad DeLong

Brad DeLong is an economic historian and professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He served as a U.S. Treasury deputy assistant secretary for economic policy and writes Grasping Reality.

Also known as J. Bradford DeLong, James Bradford DeLongWebsite (opens in a new tab)
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What DI has documented

DI has documented statements by Brad DeLong on Artificial Intelligence. Read the quotations, original sources and related cases below.

Topics in this coverage

Statements by Brad DeLong

Brad DeLong

Role at the time: Economist responding in his own newsletter

Challenged the characterization

Statement summary

DeLong accepts the flat corporate measures but argues that user benefits and new businesses may matter more.

“User surplus, which I think is massive.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Torsten Slok Beats the AI-Bear Drum: Charts of the DayDeLong's own user-surplus discussion after the Slok quotation
Why we used this label

The case scrutinizes Slok's interpretation of payoff. DeLong challenges the yardstick, rather than its profit figures. Agreement on those figures does not endorse the interpretation; his valuation doubts are a separate assessment.

Read statementSlok says AI has no payoff outside tech; DeLong challenges his measure

A participant is a subject of the case. A speaker has a statement documented in it. A commentator has an opinion or editorial documented in it.