Jason Furman says he would pick AI over a staff of economists at the CEA

Jason Furman once ran the White House Council of Economic Advisers. If he got the job back today, he says he would hand much of the grunt work to software. In an interview with Axios on October 23, 2026, the Harvard economist said he would rely on AI tools over staff economists for a large share of the council’s day-to-day analytical work. What Furman actually said Furman framed the choice in stark terms. Given the option between current AI systems and a staff of 20 PhD or pre-doctoral economists for routine analysis, he would take the machines. “I would somewhat regretfully and sadly choose the AI systems.” His reasoning centers on speed and reliability. According to Furman, AI tools have become faster and more dependable for factual research, data synthesis and routine analysis, as long as they are properly supervised by fact-checking agents. Furman also drew clear limits. He said human economists remain necessary for work that depends on interpersonal engagement, such as meetings and dealing with the press. He also acknowledged that AI lacks the creativity of the best human researchers. His argument is narrower than the online reaction suggested: the routine tasks, he says, can ...