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Root number
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506551 |
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Semester
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HS2026 |
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Type of course
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Seminar |
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Allocation to subject
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Economics |
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Type of exam
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Seminar paper |
| Title |
Seminar: Economics and AI |
| Description |
*** IMPORTANT ***
For the most updated administrative course information (date changes, room changes etc) please always refer to the KSL page only and not to the Info page in ILIAS – the ILIAS infopage will not be updated!
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Prof. Dr. Jean-Michel Benkert
This course has limited slots (12) - please register in KSL
open from 01.-10.09.2026
Seminar dates:
Wednesday, 16.09. / 23.09. / 30.09.2026, 10.15-12.00hrs, tba (Lectures 1-3)
Wednesday, 07.10.2026, 10.15-11.00hrs, tba (written exam)
Wednesday, 14.10.2026, 10.15-12.00hrs, tba (Experimental Project launch)
Wednesday, 04.11.2026, 10.15-12.00hrs, tba (reflection + Many Analysts Project launch)
Wednesday, 02.12.2026, 10.15-12.00hrs, tba (Many Analysts group presentations)
Wednesday, 09.12.2026, 10.15-12.00hrs, tba (final session)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming economies. At the same time, the tools we use to study economics — agentic AI assistants such as Claude Code and Codex — are themselves becoming powerful enough to change what it means to do (empirical) research in economics. This seminar takes both phenomena seriously.
The central question: how do we structure AI tools and workflows in economic research to capture the productivity gain without losing human capital? The course addresses this from three angles. First, three lectures on the economics of AI: a formal frame for the substitution between human and machine effort in cognitive work, the macro consequences of automation, and individual-level effects on cognition and learning. Second, two projects designed to teach AI use in two distinct regimes — one where AI output is verifiable against ground truth (the Experimental Project, implementing a theory paper in oTree), one where it is not (the Many Analysts Project, in which all students answer the same research question with the same dataset and then compare approaches in randomly-formed groups). Third, an explicit reflection session that pulls the experience back into the conceptual frame. |
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ILIAS-Link (Learning resource for course)
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Registrations are transmitted from CTS to ILIAS (no admission in ILIAS possible).
ILIAS
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Link to another web site
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| Lecturers |
Prof. Dr.
Jean-Michel Nicolas Benkert, Department of Economics ✉
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ECTS
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6 |
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Recognition as optional course possible
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Yes |
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Grading
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1 to 6 |
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| Dates |
Wednesday 16/9/2026 10:15-12:00
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Wednesday 23/9/2026 10:15-12:00
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Wednesday 30/9/2026 10:15-12:00
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Wednesday 7/10/2026 10:15-12:00
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Wednesday 14/10/2026 10:15-12:00
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Wednesday 4/11/2026 10:15-12:00
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Wednesday 2/12/2026 10:15-12:00
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Wednesday 9/12/2026 10:15-12:00
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Rooms
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| Students please consult the detailed view for complete information on dates, rooms and planned podcasts. |
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