The skeptical economist: complex systems and social incentives

Moore Building Auditorium

Large changes to complex social systems are often needed, yet when done without understanding can be disastrous. One of the key elements of social systems are the conjunction of social incentives and financial incentives. Our Leverhulme project is designed to calibrate artificial agents to human behavior to enable the study of incentives in large scale social systems.

As concrete examples Professor Levine will discuss how neglect of social incentives has hindered foreign aid and discuss the role of social and financial incentives in the fight against climate change. From this he will argue that redirecting foreign aid towards subsidising green technology in developing countries is potentially a productive approach to the problems of both poverty and climate change.

Admission free but booking is essential.

Inaugural Lecture