PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

David H. Autor

Also known as David Autor

David H. Autor is an MIT economist whose research examines how technology changes jobs, skills, and earnings. At Tufts he studied psychology, and at Harvard he earned a public-policy PhD; his 2003 paper examined how technological change shapes skill needs. In his 2015 essay “Why Are There Still So Many Jobs?”, he explains how automation can raise labor demand through higher output. Later work examines AI uncertainty and expertise, including a 2024 AI2050 project on how new tools shape employment and earnings; as of October 2026, he is MIT’s Daniel and Gail Rubinfeld Professor and co-director of the NBER Labor Studies Program.

Works
337
Citations
71,627
h-index
95

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 14 October 2026.

Photo of David H. Autor

Timeline

  1. 1999

    Training in psychology and policy

    He earned a B.A. in psychology at Tufts and a Ph.D. in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School in 1999.

  2. 2003

    Tracing technological skill shifts

    With Frank Levy and Richard J. Murnane, he published “The Skill Content of Recent Technological Change: An Empirical Exploration” in the Quarterly Journal of Economics.

  3. 2015

    Explaining work and automation

    In “Why Are There Still So Many Jobs?”, he argues that automation can raise labor demand by increasing output.

  4. 2022

    Naming an AI era

    His review of digital technology and inequality names “Artificial Intelligence uncertainty” as one of four economic paradigms.

  5. 2023

    Recognition for labor research

    He was named one of two 2023 NOMIS Distinguished Scientists for research on how technological change and globalization affect jobs.

  6. 2024

    Studying expertise with AI

    As a 2024 AI2050 Senior Fellow, he develops a project on how new tools interact with human capabilities and shape employment and earnings.

  7. As of October 2026

    A professorship and a program

    He is the Daniel (1972) and Gail Rubinfeld Professor in MIT’s Department of Economics and codirector of the NBER Labor Studies Program.

Sources and credits

Photo: Niccolò Caranti, via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: commons.wikimedia.org. Cropped to a square and resized. Ask us to remove or replace this photo.

  1. David H. Autor | MIT Economics economics.mit.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. Why Are There Still So Many Jobs? The History and Future of Workplace Automation - American Economic Association aeaweb.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. The Labor Market Impacts of Technological Change: From Unbridled Enthusiasm to Qualified Optimism to Vast Uncertainty | NBER nber.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. David Autor named NOMIS 2023 Distinguished Scientist | MIT News news.mit.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. David Autor - AI2050 ai2050.schmidtsciences.org. Checked 14 October 2026.