A new paper by Digital Futures Faculty member Francesco Fuso Nerini, published on 17 April 2026 in Nature Machine Intelligence, explores how the economic benefits of generative AI can be more equitably shared to support global societal goals. More information and link to the paper below.
In “AI economics for the common good,” Fuso Nerini highlights the immense potential of generative AI to create multi-trillion-dollar economic value. However, he warns that without intentional policy and governance, these gains risk becoming concentrated among a small number of companies and countries—potentially exacerbating global inequality. While current evidence suggests AI is more likely to augment tasks rather than fully replace jobs in the near term, up to 40% of global employment could be affected in the longer run, signaling profound labour market shifts ahead.
The paper emphasizes that societies are entering a critical window in which policymakers can shape how AI-driven wealth is distributed. Fuso Nerini argues that AI should actively contribute to advancing global priorities such as the Sustainable Development Goals, human rights, and climate action.
To achieve this, he outlines both top-down approaches—led by governments—and bottom-up mechanisms involving communities, individuals, and the private sector. Among these are innovative, AI-assisted and peer-reviewed systems designed to channel resources toward verified local needs worldwide.
Ultimately, the paper calls for rethinking how people work and contribute in an AI-driven economy, suggesting that new forms of employment focused on generating social and environmental value may become essential if AI-driven productivity leads to widespread job displacement.
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Read the full paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-026-01212-0
