Alex Tabarrok

Wyatt Thomson of OpenAI speaks with economists Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok about AI, labor markets, and the future of economic growth. The conversation explores one of the most common fears surrounding AI: that increasingly capable systems will eliminate jobs. Cowen and Tabarrok argue instead that economic growth remains the key variable. Throughout history, productivity-enhancing technologies have transformed work, created new industries, and expanded living standards, even as they disrupted existing jobs and institutions. They discuss automation, comparative advantage, inequality, education, healthcare, energy, and the kinds of work that may become more valuable in an AI-driven economy. Along the way, they examine longer-term questions about abundance, ownership, AI agents, and how societies can adapt to rapid technological change. Resources: Follow Tyler on X: https://x.com/tylercowen Follow Alex on X: https://x.com/ATabarrok Follow Wyatt on X: https://x.com/dataWyatt Stay Updated: Find a16z on YouTube: YouTube Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(01:25) - SpaceX IPO (12:37) - Anthropic Revenue Surges (17:31) - OpenAI Solves the Erdős Problem (27:53) - Alex Tabarrok, a Canadian-American economist and professor at George Mason University, co-authors the Marginal Revolution blog and co-founded Marginal Revolution University. He discusses the Baumol effect, explaining how sectors with stagnant productivity, like education and healthcare, experience rising costs due to increasing wages in more productive industries. Tabarrok also explores the potential of AI to mitigate this effect by enhancing productivity in traditionally labor-intensive sectors. (01:02:22) - Bill Clerico, founder and managing partner of Convective Capital, discusses the firm's recent $85 million fundraise, doubling their previous fund, to invest in disaster resilience technologies. He highlights the increasing frequency and severity of disasters due to aging infrastructure and climate change, emphasizing the need for private market solutions. Clerico also shares insights into the fire technology market, noting the challenges and opportunities in selling to utilities, insurance companies, and government agencies, and underscores the importance of technological innovation in enhancing disaster preparedness and response. (01:15:12) - Alex Norström, Spotify's Co-Chief Executive Officer since January 2026, discusses the company's recent Investor Day, highlighting significant user growth and financial achievements over the past four years. He introduces four major future initiatives, including a new feature that reserves concert tickets for premium users, addressing challenges like ticket scarcity and scalping. Norström also emphasizes Spotify's advancements in AI, particularly in enhancing user experience and content personalization. (01:36:38) - Jordan Schneider is the creator of the ChinaTalk podcast and newsletter, focusing on China, technology, and U.S.-China relations. In this conversation, he discusses the recent U.S.-China summit, highlighting the stalemate in relations and China's leverage over the U.S. through rare earths. He also touches on the absence of key AI leaders at the summit and the implications for future technological collaboration. (02:02:17) - Christina Lee Storm, Head of Studio at Secret Level and co-founder of Playbook PLBK, discusses the evolving role of AI in film production, emphasizing its integration as a natural progression in storytelling rather than a disruptive force. She highlights the importance of embracing technology to enhance creativity and efficiency, while underscoring that compelling storytelling remains paramount. Storm also reflects on the potential for AI to democratize filmmaking, enabling independent creators to produce high-quality content, provided they maintain a strong focus on narrative depth. (02:14:28) - Erik Bernhardsson, co-founder and CEO of Modal Labs, discusses the company's recent Series C funding round, raising $355 million at a $4.65 billion post-money valuation led by General Catalyst and Redpoint Ventures. He highlights the rapid growth of their Sandboxes product, which has been doubling in usage every month for the past six months, enabling safe execution of language model-generated code. Bernhardsson also addresses the challenges of demand planning in the AI infrastructure space, emphasizing the need to secure GPUs months in advance to accommodate their 30-40% monthly growth rate. (02:25:14) - 𝕏 Timeline Reactions Follow TBPN: https://TBPN.com https://x.com/tbpn https://open.spotify.com/show/2L6WMqY3GUPCGBD0dX6p00?si=674252d53acf4231 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/technology-brothers/id1772360235 https://www.youtube.com/@TBPNLive

How do you redesign an economy from first principles? Beniamin Mincu sits down with renowned economist, professor at George Mason University, and co-founder of Marginal Revolution University, Alex Tabarrok, to explore foundations of growth, incentives, and creative destruction. Together they discuss the evolution of the EGLD economic model, how DATs & ETFs reshape value flow, and what crypto as money for AI could mean for the next decade.

Adam Haman welcomes patent attorney and libertarian legal theorist Stephan Kinsella back to the show to talk about why prescription drugs are so expensive in the US and what can (and should) be done about it. Even "free market" economists like George Mason University's Alex Tabarrok get this wrong! 00:00 — Intro. Welcoming my friend and verifiably smart person, Stephan Kinsella! 00:44 — Is Trump's new executive order going to make drugs cheaper in the US? 02:26 — What ever would we do without the government? Are they here to make us safe? 04:30 — Bob Murphy interviewed Alex Tabarrok about this issue. Stephan has some critiques! 06:32 — Clip 1: Does Trump's EO "import price controls" from other countries? What's missing from the analysis? 14:38 — Clip 2: Do countries "free ride" off our "free market" system? Is that why drugs cost more here? No! What freakin' free market?! Also, what does "market failure" really mean? 23:47 — Clip 3: Price discrimination makes sense in other market areas. What's the problem with using it for pharmaceuticals across national boundaries? 30:27 — Clip 4: Why do some "free market" economists hate free trade so much? 34:36 — Clip 5: What on earth is the "Tabarrok Curve" in relation to intellectual property laws? Also, is it true that pharmaceuticals are THE definitive case for the necessity for IP laws? Stephan says not, and shows his work. 52:03 — A truly bonkers "replacement" for IP: Create a tax-funded prize system for innovation! 57:30 — Is the Overton Window on the IP issue beginning to shift at all? 1:02:53 — Outro. Thanks for watching Haman Nature! Stephan Kinsella's website : Blogpost mentioned often as the source for this episode: Human Action podcast mentioned - "Why are US Drug Prices So High?" Book mentioned: Against Intellectual Monopoly by Michele Boldrin and David Levine: For daily articles and bonus content, join us at: https://hamannature.substack.com/ Adam's other podcast: Natural Order Podcast This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hamannature.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Dr. Alex Tabarrok, the Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics at the Mercatus Center and a professor of economics at George Mason University, visits with James and his guest co-host, Craig Dawkins about the important insights gained from economics. From opportunity cost to scarcity, and more, Dr. Tabarrok helps us understand how these economic concepts can provide greater clarity about the world around us. Along the way, we learn about his use of AI in writing, his role in "Operation Warp Speed" which facilitated the development of vaccines for COVID-19, and we discuss his work to improve economic knowledge through Marginal Revolution University and the Marginal Revolution blog. He also discusses a the Borda Count voting method and why it's worth looking at for U.S. elections. To learn more about Dr. Tabarrok, click here: https://alextabarrok.com/about/ To view Dr. Tabarrok's 2009 Ted Talk, click here: https://www.ted.com/talks/alex_tabarrok_how_ideas_trump_crises?language=en To visit the Marginal Revolution blog, click here: https://marginalrevolution.com/ To check out Marginal Revolution University, click here: https://mru.org/ Craig Dawkins filled in as a guest host for this episode. Craig is the Associate Dean for the Business and Information Technology Division of Rose State College and teaches both personal finance and economics courses. To learn more about the BIT Division at Rose State College, click here: https://www.rose.edu/content/academics/academic-divisions/business-information-technology/ To learn more about Dr. Emily Stacey, go here: https://www.rose.edu/staff/social-sciences-department/stacey-emily/ To learn more about Professor James Davenport, go here: https://www.rose.edu/staff/social-sciences-department/davenport-james/ You can listen to previous episodes of Not My Generation here: https://notmygeneration.captivate.fm/episodes Not My Generation is recorded and produced by Possibilities, Inc. You can learn more about Possibilities, Inc. here: https://www.possibilitiesinc.org/ You can follow Not My Generation on X (Twitter) at @NMGpodcast and on Facebook at Not My Generation Podcast. You can also email us at NotMyGeneration@raider.rose.edu The views expressed here are solely the views of the hosts and their guests and do not represent the views of Rose State College, its administration, faculty, or students.

Alex Tabarrok is an economics professor at George Mason University and (with Tyler Cowen) co-host of a popular podcast. He and Tyler recently discussed the history and economics of life insurance, and in addition Alex has written extensively on blockchain finance. He was thus an obvious guest for Bob to interview. Watch the video version of this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z24Z0eo9IEI Related: - https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2025/02/the-licensing-racket.html - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsbvHcX_Ilk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIpBpGQ0XTI - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10134440 Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3XXfmGS Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infineogroup Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/infineogroup Learn more about Infineo at: https://www.infineo.io Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com

Today, we're revisiting this special Christmas episode of The Curious Task from 2019. --- Alex Aragona chats with Alex Tabarrok on this very special Christmas episode of The Curious Task as he explores whether gift giving is inefficient, and if there are better ways to give to others. References from Episode 21 with Alex Tabbarok You can watch a video of Alex Tabbarok and Tyler Cowen discuss gift giving here Giving to my Wild Self article can be found here

Join host Shane Rolf and his guest, Dr. Alex Tabarrok, who is the Director of the Center for Study of Public Choice, The Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics at the Mercatus Center which is a part of George Mason University. Dr. Tabarrok is the author of several textbooks on economics and is the Co-Founder of Marginal Revolution University, which can be found at MRU.org. The accompanying blog, MarginalRevolution.com, has nearly 2,500 pages on an incredible variety of topics. There are also links to podcasts (and additional media) from the Mercatus Center.

Alex Tabarrok is a professor of economics at George Mason University and the co-author of Marginal Revolution, one of the most popular and long-running blogs on the internet. In this episode of World of DaaS, Alex and Auren discuss: The decline of American dynamism Challenges to innovation Crime and bail reform Preparing for the next pandemic Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas . You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Alex Tabarrok on X at @ATabarrok . Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant ( https://thepodcastconsultant.com )

This podcast is a commentary and does not contain any copyrighted material of the reference source. We strongly recommend accessing/buying the reference source at the same time. ■Reference Source https://www.ted.com/talks/alex_tabarrok_how_ideas_trump_crises ■Post on this topic (You can get FREE learning materials!) https://englist.me/113-academic-words-reference-from-alex-tabarrok-how-ideas-trump-crises-ted-talk/ ■Youtube Video https://youtu.be/STEsz-IUzY4 (All Words) https://youtu.be/MNzYpTziKGs (Advanced Words) https://youtu.be/Blp0Wvk1G84 (Quick Look) ■Top Page for Further Materials https://englist.me/ ■SNS (Please follow!) 🐦 Twitter ➡︎ https://twitter.com/EnglistMe 📷 Instagram ➡︎ https://instagram.com/englist.me/ 🎵 TikTok ➡︎ https://www.tiktok.com/@englist.me 🅿️ Pinterest ➡︎ https://tiktok.com/@englist.me -------------- About Us -------------- We are strongly committed to building your vocabulary by publishing comprehensive learning materials. Let's get a wide variety of learning materials from the following site! You will gain a deeper understanding of vocabulary through Spelling and Fill in the Blank exercises. #TOEFL, #IELTS, #CambridgeEnglish, #GRE, #SAT, #GMAT, #academic, #ted, #tedtalk, #teded, #english, #vocabulary, #wordlist, #englishbook, #study, #englishstudy, #vocabularywords

Jepson student Kathryn Reda, ’23, sits down with Jepson Leadership Forum speaker Alex Tabarrok, Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and professor of economics at George Mason University, prior to his presentation "U.S. COVID-19 Response" at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. The 2022-23 Jepson Leadership Forum focuses on past and present failures in leadership and followership by shining a spotlight on times where we could – and should – have done better. Take 5 is a series of informal interviews with the scholars and experts who present as part of the lecture series. Feb. 15, 2023

Alex Tabarrok is a professor of economics at George Mason University, and a research fellow with the Mercatus Center . Alex is one of the world’s best teachers of economics and reaching a large, worldwide audience as the cofounder of Marginal Revolution University and the popular Marginal Revolution blog together with Tyler Cowen . This episode is an intellectual journey that discovers insights that can be used by entrepreneurs and city developers. Alex has been teaching economics for decades, so we start the episodes with our favorite concepts. We talk about the Baumol effect that Alex uses to explain the now infamous price chart: why is it that some goods have become much cheaper (e.g. consumer electronics), while housing, education and healthcare have increased? This informs the thesis of the podcast, which assumes regulatory and political sclerosis are the key obstacles. The Baumol effect pushes back against this explanation. The Baumol effect instead offers a more long-run focused macroeconomic explanation: the success of technology adoption in some areas must necessarily correspond to relatively higher costs in other sectors. The discovery of this effect, however, could be a necessary, not a sufficient explanation. Niklas points at the non-linearity and the many examples of regulation being specific, non-macro factors with a large impact. Alex and Niklas end up agreeing that overregulation is a large part of the problem. We further talk about economic insights such as prediction markets or dominant assurance contracts that entrepreneurs can apply in practice. A problem in the governance of public goods and regulation, however, is that the laws of society are hundreds of years old, and little new innovation is taking place. However, private cities and special economic zones such as Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Dubai have shaken up the field in the second half of the 20th century. Alex talks especially about the lessons of Gurgaon, a private city in India. Gurgaon has been in many ways remarkably successful, but it also had experienced problems funding large public goods such as sewage and electricity. Alex’s recommendation to new city or governance startups like Prospera , Ciudad Morazan or the Catawba DEZ is to think of city development as a “dance between centralization and decentralization”. Towards the end, we take a deep dive into dominant assurance contracts as a mechanism for public goods funding - an idea we could use in city development, but also for venture capital and startup funding. You can help us apply these insights in practice, check out the upcoming builder-focused conferences in Prospera: Supercharging Health 2023 - A Próspera Builders’ Summit, April 21-23 on Roatan: https://infinitavc.com/healthbio2023 Decentralizing Finance 2023 - A Próspera Builders’ Summit, May 5-7 on Roatan: https://infinitavc.com/defi2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com