Jason Furman suggests AI could replace junior White House economists

Jason Furman, former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) under President Barack Obama, has sparked debate regarding the role of artificial intelligence within the economics profession. Furman suggested that current AI systems could perform much of the work currently handled by the CEA staff, specifically targeting junior roles such as research assistants and recent graduates.

While Furman initially proposed that AI could replace approximately 20 human economists, he later moderated his stance. He suggested an “AI-intensive CEA with only a skeleton staff,” noting that while the chair position remains necessary, the bulk of junior-level tasks—including producing data dashboards, memos, briefings, and research papers—could potentially be automated.

Critics and former staff members argue that replacing junior economists threatens the professional pipeline for the field. They contend that the CEA’s mission to provide objective economic advice requires human oversight to prevent errors and ensure the quality of long-form research, noting that while AI outputs can be cutting-edge, they can also be deficient or unreliable.