Introducing the Anthropic Economic Futures Program (www.anthropic.com)

Anthropic has launched the Economic Futures Program, a comprehensive initiative aimed at researching and shaping policy around AI’s transformative economic impacts. Building on their existing Economic Index, this program seeks to better understand how AI adoption is altering labor markets, productivity, and value creation, while also developing data-driven policy responses. By providing research grants, fostering collaborations with academic institutions, and hosting policy symposia, Anthropic aims to create an evidence-based foundation for navigating the economic shifts driven by AI technologies. The program is structured around three key pillars: funding empirical research through rapid grants up to $50,000, organizing forums for policymakers and experts to propose actionable strategies, and expanding longitudinal datasets to track AI’s usage and impact across the economy. Initial research awards will be distributed starting mid-August, with upcoming symposia scheduled in Washington, DC and London in late 2025. Partnerships with independent research organizations will also be supported with API credits and other resources, emphasizing a collaborative approach to understanding AI’s evolving economic role. This initiative is significant because it addresses the urgent and complex questions surrounding AI’s influence on employment and economic structures with a data-driven, multidisciplinary approach. By grounding discussions in real-world metrics and fostering ongoing empirical analysis, the program hopes to equip policymakers and society to harness AI’s benefits while managing its disruptions—recognizing that today’s decisions will shape the future trajectory of work and economic value.