TSE would like to congratulate Daron Acemoglu, MIT professor and friend of TSE, on winning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics, shared with Simon Johnson (MIT) and James A. Robinson (University of Chicago).
He has been involved with TSE for the past twenty years.. In particular, he was an active member of the Toulouse Network Information Technology network, from its creation in 2005 until its conclusion fifteen years later.
In 2018, Acemoglu was awarded the Jean-Jacques Laffont Award, in honor of TSE's founder.
“Technological optimism is our enemy”
He regularly interacts with TSE scientists and did us the honor of speaking at the Sommet du Bien Commun, organized in Paris in June 2024 with Challenges and Les Echos Evènements. In a speech alongside Philippe Aghion, entitled “Technology and transition: will progress save us?”, he declared at the time:
“AI has captured imaginations and obviously it is going to be part of our lives in one way are another. But in some way, I’m going to argue that most important decisions about AI are ahead of us, not behind us. Being aware of them is of first order of importance. In fact, AI illustrates the key issues that are present and have been present throughout history of our technological transitions.
Technological optimism is our enemy, because it leads us not to want to intervene. This is the very basis on which the information technology industries have been able to move forward in a deregulated environment, since regulation would have restricted them and thus limited their supposed capacity to drive change.”
You can watch the video of his speech here.
“A constant source of inspiration”
Several members of the community hailed his distinction, starting with Christian Gollier, Director of TSE, who congratulated him and declared that his publications and work were “a constant source of inspiration”.
Emmanuelle Auriol, Professor of Economics at TSE, described Daron Acemoglu as “a prolific and talented economist”. “His research, focusing on institutions, economic development and inequality, has profoundly influenced our understanding of contemporary socio-economic dynamics. Through his work, he has highlighted the importance of inclusive institutions in fostering prosperity and reducing inequality. His book, “Why Nations Fail”, co-written with James A. Robinson, is a classic, demonstrating how the destiny of countries is shaped by their institutional framework. His commitment to a more equitable economy resonates in the public debate, offering concrete avenues for action to meet the many contemporary challenges.”
For Jacques Crémer, Professor at TSE and Director of Research at CNRS, this Nobel Prize is “richly deserved!”
“This man's creativity and scientific knowledge are hardly to be believed. For TNIT, he has developed important and relevant research on the consequences of robotization. His interest in many subjects and his constructive comments on each other's publications have greatly enriched the network, far beyond what was thought possible.”
