Senior Economist - Effects of Transformative AI

OverviewPosition OverviewCARMA seeks an innovative economist to join our Geostrategic Dynamics team, exploring how advanced AI systems will reshape global economic paradigms, incentive structures, and power dynamics. You\'ll develop models to analyze critical risks including labor obsolescence, economic instability, concentration of power, shocks to the financial system, and degraded living standards as AI capabilities accelerate. This research aims to anticipate and identify vulnerabilities in economic systems before they manifest as widespread harms.You\'ll join a collaborative, intellectually rigorous team examining how AI capabilities will transform international economic systems and power dynamics. This role offers significant intellectual autonomy to propose and lead original research while drawing on interdisciplinary expertise from colleagues specializing in international relations, AI, and quantitative modeling.About CARMAThe Center for AI Risk Management & Alignment (CARMA) works to help society navigate the complex and potentially catastrophic risks arising from increasingly powerful AI systems. Our mission is specifically to lower the risks to humanity and the biosphere from transformative AI.We focus on grounding AI risk management in rigorous analysis, developing policy frameworks that squarely address AGI, advancing technical safety approaches, and fostering global perspectives on durable safety. Through these complementary approaches, CARMA aims to provide critical support to society for managing the outsized risks from advanced AI before they materialize.CARMA is a fiscally-sponsored project of Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation.Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop economic models to anticipate how advanced AI systems could create novel systemic risks and vulnerabilitiesBuild scenarios for potential economic disruptions from rapid AI advancement, including deflation, labor displacement, and market concentrationModel how AI-driven productivity changes could interact with existing economic structures to create new forms of inequality or disruptionAnalyze potential concentration of power dynamics across markets, regions, and demographic groups as AI capabilities advanceIdentify early warning indicators for economic instability, financial system shocks, and deteriorating standards of livingTranslate complex economic risk analyses into actionable insights and present to policymakers, multilateral institutions, and other key stakeholdersCollaborate with interdisciplinary experts to integrate economic risk perspectives into broader AI safety considerationsQualificationsRequiredAdvanced degree (PhD preferred) in Economics with expertise in labor economics and international economicsDemonstrated ability to rethink traditional economic models in response to paradigmatic disruptionsStrong publication or research record showing original thinking on economic systems and risksComfortable with uncertainty and using limited data, to predict novel economic phenomenaExcellent writing skills with proven ability to communicate complex economic concepts to non-specialist audiencesSelf-motivated researcher with demonstrated interest in AI\'s systemic risksStrong critical thinking skills for evaluating competing economic theories in unprecedented scenariosFamiliarity with US and EU policy landscapes and basic understanding of international relationsSystems thinking capability to identify complex interdependencies between economic factorsPreferredTraining in econometrics or other applied quantitative methodsCoding proficiency (e.g., Python, R, or Rust) for economic risk modelingExperience working in policy, multilateral institutions, or government contextsUnderstanding of systemic risk analysis and complex adaptive systemsKnowledge of AI capabilities and their potential economic impactsBackground in macroprudential analysis or financial stability researchExperience with scenario planning or other foresight methodologies for identifying emerging risksFamiliarity with political economy approaches to power distribution and concentrationExperience analyzing the impacts of technological transitions or structural economic changesBackground in behavioral economics relevant to human responses to economic disruptionCARMA/SEE is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, age, religion, gender reassignment, partnership status, maternity, or sexual orientation. We are, by policy and action, an inclusive organization and actively promote equal opportunities for all humans with the right mix of talent, knowledge, skills, attitude, and potential, so hiring is only based on individual merit for the job. Our organization operates through a fiscal sponsor whose infrastructure only supports persons authorized to work in the U.S. as employees. Candidates outside the U.S. would be engaged as independent contractors with project-focused responsibilities. Note that we are unable to sponsor visas at this time.$140,000 - $190,000 a yearplus good benefits for U.S. employees #J-18808-Ljbffr