Nobel laureate Acemoğlu calls The Economist critique ‘hit piece’
Turkish-American Nobel laureate Daron Acemoğlu dismissed a critique in The Economist as a character assassination after the magazine questioned his intellectual legacy, sparking renewed debate over his institutional theories and skepticism toward technology.
The magazine recognized the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scholar’s exceptional academic output, yet featured an anonymous economist’s claim that Acemoğlu builds models merely to promote “previously tried and failed populist policies.”
“I am not happy about the Economist’s article, which feels like a hit piece,” Acemoğlu said on X. “There is also a background to it, which is more troubling [as I will share at some point]. I asked them to allow me to respond. I am waiting for their answer. If not in the magazine, I will share my response here.”
Social media users suggested his recent demands for artificial intelligence regulations sparked the criticism. The publication scrutinized his 2024 calculation forecasting limited AI productivity growth over 10 years. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers criticized this analysis, though Acemoğlu conceded he missed “agentic AI.” The magazine also criticized his 2023 book “Power and Progress” for linking the cotton gin to slavery.
