Transformative AI Research Economist, Economic Research
Anthropic · San Francisco, CA
- On site
- Full-time
- $375,000 / year
- San Francisco, CA
Job highlights
- Build macroeconomic models of transformative AI.
- Develop scenario-based forecasting tools.
- Use microeconomic data for projections.
- Analyze income distribution and governance.
- Contribute to AI-powered economics research tools.
About the role
About Anthropic
Anthropic’s mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. We want AI to be safe and beneficial for our users and for society as a whole. Our team is a quickly growing group of committed researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems.
About The Role
As a Transformative AI Research Economist at Anthropic, you will build macroeconomic models of AI that could be genuinely transformative and develop the scenario-based forecasting tools that let us reason quantitatively about economic trajectories with no historical precedent. You will work on questions of aggregate growth, income distribution, and economic governance under scenarios that most of the profession has not yet modeled seriously.
You will ground projections in microeconomic signals from the Anthropic Economic Index — usage patterns across millions of real-world AI interactions, surfaced through privacy-preserving measurement — so that scenario forecasts are disciplined by what we actually observe about task transformation and productivity. You will use frontier methods in growth theory, computational macro, and structural estimation, and contribute to AI-powered tools that expand what economic research can do.
Our team combines rigorous empirical methods with novel measurement approaches. We're building first-of-its-kind datasets tracking AI's impact on labor markets, productivity, and economic transformation. Using our privacy-preserving measurement system, we analyze millions of real-world AI interactions to understand how AI augments and automates work across different occupations and tasks.
Responsibilities
- Build macroeconomic models of transformative AI spanning growth, labor markets, and income distribution
- Develop and maintain scenario-based forecasting tools; publish forecasts for GDP, productivity, and unemployment under a range of AI-capability trajectories
- Ground macroeconomic projections in microeconomic data from the Anthropic Economic Index, constraining theory with observed patterns of adoption and task transformation
- Analyze questions of income distribution and economic governance under transformative-AI scenarios
- Contribute to the development of AI-powered research tools for economics
- Contribute to Economic Index Reports and publish Research Briefs on first-order questions as they arise
- Build and maintain relationships with academic institutions, policy think tanks, and other research partners
- Amplify external engagement through research publications, policy briefs, and presentations to diverse stakeholders
You May Be a Good Fit If You Have
- PhD in Economics, or an exceptional candidate close to completion
- Background in macroeconomics, growth theory, or public finance ideally with exposure to task-based frameworks and labor economics
- A research record that engages seriously with the possibility of transformative AI — you treat the scenarios in this posting as live questions worth modeling rigorously, not speculation to be hedged against
- Relevant experience in some of:
- Macroeconomic modeling and structural estimation
- Scenario-based and time-series forecasting
- Task-based approaches to technological change
- Computational methods, agent-based modeling, or large-scale simulation
- Income distribution and inequality
- Using large language models in the research workflow
- Technical skills including:
- Proficiency in Python, Julia, or similar for computational economics
- Facility with AI coding agents as part of a research workflow
- Comfort learning new technical tools and frameworks
- Demonstrated ability to:
- Lead research projects from conception to publication
- Ship on tight timelines and revise in public as new data arrives
- Communicate technical findings to diverse audiences
- Strong interest in ensuring AI development benefits humanity
Some Examples of Our Recent Work
- Labor market impacts of AI: A new measure and early evidence
- Anthropic Economic Index Report: Economic Primitives
- Anthropic Economic Index Report: Uneven Geographic and Enterprise AI Adoption
- Estimating AI productivity gains from Claude conversations
- The Anthropic Economic Index
Additional Information
For this role, we're looking for candidates who combine rigorous macroeconomic theory with computational fluency, and who are willing to model economic scenarios that fall outside the profession's usual range. The ideal candidate works at the intersection of growth theory, forecasting, and frontier AI.
Deadline to apply: None. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis
The annual compensation range for this role is listed below.
For sales roles, the range provided is the role’s On Target Earnings (
Skills & topics
- AI Research Economist
- macroeconomic modeling
- economic forecasting
- transformative AI
- growth theory
- computational economics
- Python
- Julia
- labor economics
- income distribution
- AI safety
- economic governance
- scenario planning
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight macroeconomic modeling, forecasting, and AI research experience relevant to transformative AI scenarios.
- Showcase technical skills: Emphasize proficiency in Python, Julia, and AI coding agents for computational economics.
- Demonstrate research impact: Provide examples of leading research projects and publishing findings to diverse audiences.
- Express AI safety interest: Clearly articulate your passion for ensuring AI development benefits humanity.
- Apply early: Submit your application as reviews are on a rolling basis.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the application deadline for the AI Research Economist role at Anthropic?
- There is no specific deadline to apply for the AI Research Economist position at Anthropic. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so it's advisable to submit your application as soon as possible to be considered.
- What are the key responsibilities of an AI Research Economist at Anthropic?
- Key responsibilities include building macroeconomic models of transformative AI, developing scenario-based forecasting tools, grounding projections in microeconomic data, analyzing income distribution and economic governance, and contributing to AI-powered research tools.
- What qualifications are essential for the AI Research Economist role at Anthropic?
- A PhD in Economics or near completion, a strong background in macroeconomics/growth theory, experience with transformative AI scenarios, and proficiency in computational economics tools like Python or Julia are essential.
- Does Anthropic sponsor visas for international candidates for the AI Research Economist position?
- Yes, Anthropic does sponsor visas for this role. While they cannot guarantee sponsorship for every candidate, they make every reasonable effort to secure a visa if an offer is made.
- What is the expected work arrangement for the AI Research Economist role at Anthropic?
- Anthropic has a location-based hybrid policy, expecting staff to be in the office at least 25% of the time. Some roles may require more in-office presence, but this position likely falls under the hybrid model.
- What is the salary range for the Transformative AI Research Economist at Anthropic?
- The annual compensation range for this role is $300,000 to $405,000 USD. This range is for the role's On Target Earnings (OTE).
- How does Anthropic ensure AI development benefits humanity, and how is this reflected in the AI Research Economist role?
- Anthropic's core mission is to create safe and beneficial AI. The AI Research Economist role directly contributes by modeling AI's economic impact and ensuring its development aligns with human benefit, with a strong interest in this area being a key qualification.
- What kind of datasets does Anthropic use for economic research?
- Anthropic utilizes the Anthropic Economic Index, which includes usage patterns from millions of real-world AI interactions, privacy-preserving measurements, and datasets tracking AI's impact on labor markets, productivity, and economic transformation.