Erik Brynjolfsson
The Stanford economist behind the 'Canaries in the Coal Mine' research tracking AI's effect on entry-level employment.
Erik Brynjolfsson directs the Stanford Digital Economy Lab and has spent decades studying what new technology actually does to work, as opposed to what people predict it will do. He is one of the few economists in this debate whose conclusions have moved in both directions over the years, which is part of why the work carries weight.
His best-known recent project is “Canaries in the Coal Mine”, which uses payroll records from millions of US workers to track employment in occupations exposed to AI. Its August 2026 update found employment for 22 to 25 year olds in the most exposed jobs sitting 19 percent below their less-exposed peers, driven by reduced hiring rather than layoffs.