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Opinion | The 1970s Gave Us Industrial Decline. A.I. Could Bring Something Worse.

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markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Aug 20

Pleased to see our @brookings.edu data points on AI geography help anchor Carl Frey @nytimes.com comment reiterating that ec decline is not inevitable.

Early reaction will allow "adaptation and survival."

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/opinion/ai-job-loss-deindustrialization.html

www.nytimes.com

Reposted

Alan Berube @berubea1.bsky.social · Aug 4

Already lots of well-placed outrage at the dismissal of the BLS Commissioner late last week; just want to add how much I have appreciated and relied on BLS data for the past 25 years to tell the story of regional economies. Hope their vital, non-political work continues. cc: @markmuro1.bsky.social

Across the country, we’re seeing AI spark incredible innovation, but some regions are racing ahead, and others risk being left behind. | Brad Smith

markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Aug 1

Glad to see @bradsmi.bsky.social at @microsoft.com affirm the concern many of us have about the social and geographical divides we're seeing between AI's readiness haves and have-nots.

shorturl.at/Ai48N

If #AI is transformative we need to work harder on inclusion, equity, broad readiness

Across the country, we’re seeing AI spark incredible innovation, but some regions are racing ahead, and others risk being left behind. If we want AI transformation to reach every community, we need to...

shorturl.at

What to make of the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan | Brookings

markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Aug 1

What to make of the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan

Here are 15 short takes (including mine) on the Trump #AI agenda from @brookings.edu scholars

www.brookings.edu/articles/wha...

@drturnerlee.bsky.social thanks for instigating @shriyared.bsky.social

Scholars across Brookings discuss the Trump administration's newly released AI Action Plan and its implications.

Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technology leap | Brookings

markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 25

@brookings.edu’s new AI mapping suggests these elements of a fed strategy to support readiness in diverse regions:

--Boost AI research
--Scale AI cluster Dev
--Expand talent pipelines
--develop infrastructure
--Support worker adjustment

rb.gy/1lpbeu

@hboushey.bsky.social @dylanmatt.bsky.social

The AI revolution across 387 U.S. metropolitan areas and assessing how the nation and local economies are positioned to create, apply, and harness AI.

rb.gy

markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 25

Wish it were cooler here in Washington DC!

markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 22

Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technology leap www.brookings.edu/articles/map...

Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technology leap | Brookings

The AI revolution across 387 U.S. metropolitan areas and assessing how the nation and local economies are positioned to create, apply, and harness AI.

Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technology leap | Brookings

markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 22

If #AI matters for productivity and ec gains, it matters WHO is "ready" to adopt it--and WHERE.

See our new @BrookingsInst AI readiness mapping.

See here: www.brookings.edu/articles/mapping-the-ai-economy-which-regions-are-ready-for-the-next-technology-leap/?b=1

@berkeleyolab.bsky.social

The AI revolution across 387 U.S. metropolitan areas and assessing how the nation and local economies are positioned to create, apply, and harness AI.

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markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 21

Hey thanks for working on this @peterha21.social

Peter Hall @peterha2l.bsky.social · Jul 16

A little bit of data viz for @technologyreview.com today about where AI is impacting work. Check out some more charts and the rest of the story here: www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/16/1...

Graph displaying where VC bs. Federal contracts are being made in different emerging US localities, with data courtesy of the Brookings Institution

Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technology leap | Brookings

Reposted

Robert Puentes @robpuentes.bsky.social · Jul 21

ICYMI: check out this new @brookings.edu analysis by @markmuro1.bsky.social @shriyared.bsky.social mapping the #AI economy. Among others they find high concentration in a limited number of metro areas, but numerous other regions are home to meaningful AI activity
www.brookings.edu/articles/map...

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markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 21

Re the #AI divide!

Last week we mapped it in #AI readiness:
www.brookings.edu/articles/map...

Now, @msftresearch.bsky.social shows it re ChatGPT use: www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/publication/the-emerging-ai-divide-in-the-united-states/?msockid=22dc082541af6a272d501bc340fd6bb3

@brookings.edu

The AI revolution across 387 U.S. metropolitan areas and assessing how the nation and local economies are positioned to create, apply, and harness AI.

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markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 21

Now out:

Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technology leap.

New research from me and @shriyared.bsky.social @brookings.edu

www.brookings.edu/articles/map...

Reposted

Andrés Rodríguez-Pose @rodriguez-pose.bsky.social · Jul 20

As the #EU drifts into discontent, it eyes dismantling its main tool for development & the one policy that binds its parts.
Cohesion is the scaffolding of the idea of #Europe & the key to unlocking the continent’s untapped potential
ec.europa.eu/regional_pol...
doi.org/10.1080/0013...

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markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 19

Thank you @rodriguez-pose.bsky.social for distilling the critical need for complement "superstar" concentrations of #AI development with readiness in the rest of the country.

And note this will likely be a problem in Europe too.

@brookings.edu @dacemoglumit.bsky.social @calebwatney.bsky.social

Andrés Rodríguez-Pose @rodriguez-pose.bsky.social · Jul 19

#AI is the crop that only few fields can grow. @markmuro1.bsky.social & ‪@shriyared.bsky.social find that two Bay cities bag 13% of #US AI hiring. They divide America into superstars and also-rans, revealing big adoption gaps.
Investment beyond the coasts is needed. www.brookings.edu/articles/map...

Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technology leap | Brookings

markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 18

Here are 4 takeaways from our new @brookings.edu benchmarking of U.S. regions' #AI readiness:

--Rapid growth

--Extreme concentration

--More geographic diffusion

--Persistent opportunity gaps

www.brookings.edu/articles/mapping-the-ai-economy-which-regions-are-ready-for-the-next-technology-leap/

The AI revolution across 387 U.S. metropolitan areas and assessing how the nation and local economies are positioned to create, apply, and harness AI.

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Reposted

Ruo Shui @ruoshuiresearch.bsky.social · Jul 17

interesting to see which cities are more cloud/data ready and following through

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markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 17

Our new @brookings.edu mapping finds six types of AI clusters in the U.S.

Superstars

Star Hubs

Emerging Centers

Focused Movers

Nascent Adopters

Others

www.brookings.edu/articles/map...

markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 17

“Mapping the AI economy” My new report w/ @shriyared.bsky.social @brookings.edu www.brookings.edu/articles/map...

@shiraovide.bsky.social @profhicks.bsky.social @nickbunker.bsky.social @berkeleyolab.bsky.social @pkrugman.bsky.social @kevinroose.com @conorsen.bsky.social

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markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 16

NEW: “Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are readiest for the next tech leap.”

Here's a look at the geography of AI from @shriyared.bsky.social & myself @BrookingsInst @BrookingsMetro

www.brookings.edu/articles/map...

@yappelbaum.bsky.social @byheatherlong.bsky.social @karenhao.bsky.social

Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technology leap | Brookings

markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 16

"Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technological leap.” New report from @shriyared.bsky.social and myself

See how your metro is doing! @brookings.edu www.brookings.edu/articles/map...

@robpuentes.bsky.social

The AI revolution across 387 U.S. metropolitan areas and assessing how the nation and local economies are positioned to create, apply, and harness AI.

[FREE TO READ] Donald Trump’s policy agenda does not address Republican economic realities

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markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 13

Great to see @codeforamerica.org mapping gov't readiness for #AI across all 50 states.

Later this week @brookings.edu will map AI ec dev readiness across 300+ metros.

It's definitely time to get ready! @emollick.bsky.social @econberger.bsky.social @robpuentes.bsky.social @shiraovide.bsky.social

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markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 6

Delighted to help Tej Parikh explain America's ec divides in the FT

Red and Blue America continue to represent "fundamentally contrasting economies"

on.ft.com/4lelvdP

@rodriguez-pose.bsky.social @brookings.edu @pbump.com @annielowrey.bsky.social @crampell.bsky.social @jfallows.bsky.social

A tale of two Americas

on.ft.com

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markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jul 6

"It's hard to AI-proof your job or career given so much uncertainty" about both.

Great comment from @adamclarkestes.com @vox.com in good story quoting @emollick.bsky.social and I on #AI infusion into work

www.vox.com/technology/418525/ai-chatgpt-google-office-work-white-collar-jobs

Don’t let AI steal your job

It’s okay to hate AI’s encroachment into work. Learn to use it anyway.

www.vox.com

markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jun 20

So glad you guys find the discussion useful. Note that it applies to #AI as much as trade shocks, and some of the outlines about what to do about such shocks apply both to trade and automation, and to now as much as earlier

@bencasselman.bsky.social @brookings.edu @alexsjacquez.bsky.social

Industrial Policy Group @industrialpolicy.bsky.social · Jun 20

Fascinating discussion on regional economic divides from @markmuro1.bsky.social, Robert Puentes and Gordon Hanson. They examine both Biden's place-based industrial strategy and Trump's tariffs. Worth a listen!

markmuro1.bsky.social @markmuro1.bsky.social · Jun 19

How can policymakers help communities left behind by globalization and automation?

My excellent podcast guest Gordon Hanson (who coined the term "China Shock") weights in

www.brookings.edu/articles/how-can-policymakers-help-communities-left-behind-by-globalization-and-automation/

@brookings.edu