Dennis Alexis Valin Dittrich
@davdittrich.economicscience.net
Interested in bounded rationality, trust, discrimination, fair compensation, labor economics, quantitative methods, dataviz, rstats, open source
1stgen Professor of Economics (2005-2022)
Senior Economist at the Stepstone Group
https://economicscience.net
1stgen Professor of Economics (2005-2022)
Senior Economist at the Stepstone Group
https://economicscience.net
that work is harder to step away from, especially as organizational expectations for speed and responsiveness rise."
#LaborEcon
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116048241413469185 5/5
#LaborEcon
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116048241413469185 5/5
February 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM
that work is harder to step away from, especially as organizational expectations for speed and responsiveness rise."
#LaborEcon
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116048241413469185 5/5
#LaborEcon
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116048241413469185 5/5
employees juggle multiple AI-enabled workflows
… overwork can impair judgment, increase the likelihood of errors, and make it harder for organizations to distinguish genuine productivity gains from unsustainable intensity
… the cumulative effect is fatigue, #burnout, and a growing sense 4/5
… overwork can impair judgment, increase the likelihood of errors, and make it harder for organizations to distinguish genuine productivity gains from unsustainable intensity
… the cumulative effect is fatigue, #burnout, and a growing sense 4/5
February 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM
employees juggle multiple AI-enabled workflows
… overwork can impair judgment, increase the likelihood of errors, and make it harder for organizations to distinguish genuine productivity gains from unsustainable intensity
… the cumulative effect is fatigue, #burnout, and a growing sense 4/5
… overwork can impair judgment, increase the likelihood of errors, and make it harder for organizations to distinguish genuine productivity gains from unsustainable intensity
… the cumulative effect is fatigue, #burnout, and a growing sense 4/5
a continual switching of attention, frequent checking of #AI outputs, and a growing number of open tasks. This created #cognitiveload and a sense of always juggling
… What looks like higher #productivity in the short run can mask silent workload creep and growing cognitive strain as 3/5
… What looks like higher #productivity in the short run can mask silent workload creep and growing cognitive strain as 3/5
February 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM
a continual switching of attention, frequent checking of #AI outputs, and a growing number of open tasks. This created #cognitiveload and a sense of always juggling
… What looks like higher #productivity in the short run can mask silent workload creep and growing cognitive strain as 3/5
… What looks like higher #productivity in the short run can mask silent workload creep and growing cognitive strain as 3/5
parallel, or reviving long-deferred tasks because AI could “handle them” in the background. They did this, in part, because they felt they had a “partner” that could help them move through their workload.
While this sense of having a “partner” enabled a feeling of momentum, the reality was 2/5
While this sense of having a “partner” enabled a feeling of momentum, the reality was 2/5
February 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM
parallel, or reviving long-deferred tasks because AI could “handle them” in the background. They did this, in part, because they felt they had a “partner” that could help them move through their workload.
While this sense of having a “partner” enabled a feeling of momentum, the reality was 2/5
While this sense of having a “partner” enabled a feeling of momentum, the reality was 2/5
#EconSky
AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It https://hbr.org/2026/02/ai-doesnt-reduce-work-it-intensifies-it
“AI introduced a new rhythm in which workers managed several active threads at once: manually writing code while AI generated an alternative version, running multiple agents in 1/5
AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It https://hbr.org/2026/02/ai-doesnt-reduce-work-it-intensifies-it
“AI introduced a new rhythm in which workers managed several active threads at once: manually writing code while AI generated an alternative version, running multiple agents in 1/5
AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It
One of the promises of AI is that it can reduce workloads so employees can focus more on higher-value and more engaging tasks. But according to new research, AI tools don’t reduce work, they consistently intensify it: In the study, employees worked at a faster pace, took on a broader scope of tasks, and extended work into more hours of the day, often without being asked to do so. That may sound like a win, but it’s not quite so simple. These changes can be unsustainable, leading to workload creep, cognitive fatigue, burnout, and weakened decision-making. The productivity surge enjoyed at the beginning can give way to lower quality work, turnover, and other problems. To correct for this, companies need to adopt an “AI practice,” or a set of norms and standards around AI use that can include intentional pauses, sequencing work, and adding more human grounding.
hbr.org
February 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM
#EconSky
AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It https://hbr.org/2026/02/ai-doesnt-reduce-work-it-intensifies-it
“AI introduced a new rhythm in which workers managed several active threads at once: manually writing code while AI generated an alternative version, running multiple agents in 1/5
AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It https://hbr.org/2026/02/ai-doesnt-reduce-work-it-intensifies-it
“AI introduced a new rhythm in which workers managed several active threads at once: manually writing code while AI generated an alternative version, running multiple agents in 1/5
disproportionately attract more educated and experienced workers
… stringent #RTO mandates may induce the most productive employees to leave firms that do not offer WFH."
#LaborMarkets
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116048099955111626 4/4
… stringent #RTO mandates may induce the most productive employees to leave firms that do not offer WFH."
#LaborMarkets
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116048099955111626 4/4
February 10, 2026 at 8:00 PM
disproportionately attract more educated and experienced workers
… stringent #RTO mandates may induce the most productive employees to leave firms that do not offer WFH."
#LaborMarkets
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116048099955111626 4/4
… stringent #RTO mandates may induce the most productive employees to leave firms that do not offer WFH."
#LaborMarkets
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116048099955111626 4/4
understate #inequality, as the best-paid workers are also more likely to receive the WFH amenity.
… changes in WFH policies (e.g., through widely debated RTO mandates) could have important implications for the allocation of talent and for aggregate productivity: firms offering WFH 3/4
… changes in WFH policies (e.g., through widely debated RTO mandates) could have important implications for the allocation of talent and for aggregate productivity: firms offering WFH 3/4
February 10, 2026 at 8:00 PM
understate #inequality, as the best-paid workers are also more likely to receive the WFH amenity.
… changes in WFH policies (e.g., through widely debated RTO mandates) could have important implications for the allocation of talent and for aggregate productivity: firms offering WFH 3/4
… changes in WFH policies (e.g., through widely debated RTO mandates) could have important implications for the allocation of talent and for aggregate productivity: firms offering WFH 3/4
negotiation skills or bargaining power). Indeed, WFH was more prevalent for workers who already had high hourly wages before the pandemic, and was not associated with higher post-pandemic wage growth.
… in a world with more widespread #WFH, differences in hourly #wages may significantly 2/4
… in a world with more widespread #WFH, differences in hourly #wages may significantly 2/4
February 10, 2026 at 8:00 PM
#EconSky
The Work-from-home Wage Premium https://www.frbsf.org/wp-content/uploads/wp2026-02.pdf
"… find that workers who work from home earn higher hourly wages than those who do not.
… premium is driven by selection on unobservable worker characteristics (which could include ability, 1/4
The Work-from-home Wage Premium https://www.frbsf.org/wp-content/uploads/wp2026-02.pdf
"… find that workers who work from home earn higher hourly wages than those who do not.
… premium is driven by selection on unobservable worker characteristics (which could include ability, 1/4
The Work-from-home Wage Premium
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Working Paper 2026-02
www.frbsf.org
February 10, 2026 at 8:00 PM
#EconSky
The Work-from-home Wage Premium https://www.frbsf.org/wp-content/uploads/wp2026-02.pdf
"… find that workers who work from home earn higher hourly wages than those who do not.
… premium is driven by selection on unobservable worker characteristics (which could include ability, 1/4
The Work-from-home Wage Premium https://www.frbsf.org/wp-content/uploads/wp2026-02.pdf
"… find that workers who work from home earn higher hourly wages than those who do not.
… premium is driven by selection on unobservable worker characteristics (which could include ability, 1/4
How I Use Claude Code for Empirical Research https://causalinf.substack.com/p/claude-code-part-12-how-i-use-claude
Scott has a lot of good and useful ideas about how to use #claudeCode & Co. I like the referee #2 idea. There is more in his other posts.
#AI #llm
orig 1/2
Scott has a lot of good and useful ideas about how to use #claudeCode & Co. I like the referee #2 idea. There is more in his other posts.
#AI #llm
orig 1/2
Claude Code Part 12: How I Use Claude Code for Empirical Research
My "MixtapeTools" repo
causalinf.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 8:00 PM
How I Use Claude Code for Empirical Research https://causalinf.substack.com/p/claude-code-part-12-how-i-use-claude
Scott has a lot of good and useful ideas about how to use #claudeCode & Co. I like the referee #2 idea. There is more in his other posts.
#AI #llm
orig 1/2
Scott has a lot of good and useful ideas about how to use #claudeCode & Co. I like the referee #2 idea. There is more in his other posts.
#AI #llm
orig 1/2
#EconSky
The Legacy of Daniel Kahneman https://ejpe.org/journal/article/view/1075/753
by Gerd Gigerenzer
#BoundedRationality
#economics #Psychology #heuristics #Biases #statisticalThinking
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013924158823849
The Legacy of Daniel Kahneman https://ejpe.org/journal/article/view/1075/753
by Gerd Gigerenzer
#BoundedRationality
#economics #Psychology #heuristics #Biases #statisticalThinking
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013924158823849
View of The Legacy of Daniel Kahneman:
ejpe.org
February 4, 2026 at 7:30 PM
#EconSky
The Legacy of Daniel Kahneman https://ejpe.org/journal/article/view/1075/753
by Gerd Gigerenzer
#BoundedRationality
#economics #Psychology #heuristics #Biases #statisticalThinking
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013924158823849
The Legacy of Daniel Kahneman https://ejpe.org/journal/article/view/1075/753
by Gerd Gigerenzer
#BoundedRationality
#economics #Psychology #heuristics #Biases #statisticalThinking
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013924158823849
they are directly harming another human."
#economics #IntellectualProperty #ExperimentalEcon #ExperimentalLaw
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013622450354382 4/4
#economics #IntellectualProperty #ExperimentalEcon #ExperimentalLaw
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013622450354382 4/4
February 4, 2026 at 6:30 PM
they are directly harming another human."
#economics #IntellectualProperty #ExperimentalEcon #ExperimentalLaw
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013622450354382 4/4
#economics #IntellectualProperty #ExperimentalEcon #ExperimentalLaw
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013622450354382 4/4
stolen so everyone take copies,” explicitly rejecting the application of “stolen” to discs.
… Humans can state that digital piracy is illegal and take measures to prevent it. However, it will be difficult to cause an individual engaging in piracy to feel guilty as they do when they believe 3/4
… Humans can state that digital piracy is illegal and take measures to prevent it. However, it will be difficult to cause an individual engaging in piracy to feel guilty as they do when they believe 3/4
February 4, 2026 at 6:30 PM
stolen so everyone take copies,” explicitly rejecting the application of “stolen” to discs.
… Humans can state that digital piracy is illegal and take measures to prevent it. However, it will be difficult to cause an individual engaging in piracy to feel guilty as they do when they believe 3/4
… Humans can state that digital piracy is illegal and take measures to prevent it. However, it will be difficult to cause an individual engaging in piracy to feel guilty as they do when they believe 3/4
disc and can still consume the full value of it.
… Participants discuss discs often enough to reveal how they conceptualize the resource. In many instances, they articulate the positive-sum logic of zero-marginal-cost copying. For example, … farmer Almond reasons, “ok so disks cant be 2/4
… Participants discuss discs often enough to reveal how they conceptualize the resource. In many instances, they articulate the positive-sum logic of zero-marginal-cost copying. For example, … farmer Almond reasons, “ok so disks cant be 2/4
February 4, 2026 at 6:30 PM
disc and can still consume the full value of it.
… Participants discuss discs often enough to reveal how they conceptualize the resource. In many instances, they articulate the positive-sum logic of zero-marginal-cost copying. For example, … farmer Almond reasons, “ok so disks cant be 2/4
… Participants discuss discs often enough to reveal how they conceptualize the resource. In many instances, they articulate the positive-sum logic of zero-marginal-cost copying. For example, … farmer Almond reasons, “ok so disks cant be 2/4
#EconSky
Everyone Take Copies https://www.econlib.org/econlog/everyone-take-copies/
"… discs: Non-rivalrous goods are goods that can be used by multiple people without any loss to the other users. If participants exercise the ability to take a disc, then the original disc holder still has a 1/4
Everyone Take Copies https://www.econlib.org/econlog/everyone-take-copies/
"… discs: Non-rivalrous goods are goods that can be used by multiple people without any loss to the other users. If participants exercise the ability to take a disc, then the original disc holder still has a 1/4
Everyone Take Copies - Econlib
I have a new working paper with Bart Wilson titled: “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car: Moral Intuition for Intellectual Property.” The title of this post, “everyone take copies,” comes from a conversation between the human subjects in an experiment in our lab, on which the paper is based. The experiment was studying how and when […]
www.econlib.org
February 4, 2026 at 6:30 PM
#EconSky
Everyone Take Copies https://www.econlib.org/econlog/everyone-take-copies/
"… discs: Non-rivalrous goods are goods that can be used by multiple people without any loss to the other users. If participants exercise the ability to take a disc, then the original disc holder still has a 1/4
Everyone Take Copies https://www.econlib.org/econlog/everyone-take-copies/
"… discs: Non-rivalrous goods are goods that can be used by multiple people without any loss to the other users. If participants exercise the ability to take a disc, then the original disc holder still has a 1/4
40% chance of vanishing. It is more likely to be reorganized.
… Technology automates, accelerates or reduces the cost of specific tasks within a job, allowing employees to spend more time on higher-value activities. As a result, output expands and #wages often rise."
#LaborMarkets
orig 4/5
… Technology automates, accelerates or reduces the cost of specific tasks within a job, allowing employees to spend more time on higher-value activities. As a result, output expands and #wages often rise."
#LaborMarkets
orig 4/5
February 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM
40% chance of vanishing. It is more likely to be reorganized.
… Technology automates, accelerates or reduces the cost of specific tasks within a job, allowing employees to spend more time on higher-value activities. As a result, output expands and #wages often rise."
#LaborMarkets
orig 4/5
… Technology automates, accelerates or reduces the cost of specific tasks within a job, allowing employees to spend more time on higher-value activities. As a result, output expands and #wages often rise."
#LaborMarkets
orig 4/5
differently.
… software has automated large portions of bookkeeping and tax preparation without eliminating accountants, who have moved up the value chain toward advisory, forensic and judgment-intensive work.
… A job that scores as 40% “exposed” to AI in these rankings doesn’t have a 3/5
… software has automated large portions of bookkeeping and tax preparation without eliminating accountants, who have moved up the value chain toward advisory, forensic and judgment-intensive work.
… A job that scores as 40% “exposed” to AI in these rankings doesn’t have a 3/5
February 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM
differently.
… software has automated large portions of bookkeeping and tax preparation without eliminating accountants, who have moved up the value chain toward advisory, forensic and judgment-intensive work.
… A job that scores as 40% “exposed” to AI in these rankings doesn’t have a 3/5
… software has automated large portions of bookkeeping and tax preparation without eliminating accountants, who have moved up the value chain toward advisory, forensic and judgment-intensive work.
… A job that scores as 40% “exposed” to AI in these rankings doesn’t have a 3/5
But the distinction between task repricing—when technology can take over all or part of a task—and job destruction isn’t semantic, it is economic. When technology lowers the cost of performing specific tasks by lifting some of the load, firms reorganize production. Workers specialize 2/5
February 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM
But the distinction between task repricing—when technology can take over all or part of a task—and job destruction isn’t semantic, it is economic. When technology lowers the cost of performing specific tasks by lifting some of the load, firms reorganize production. Workers specialize 2/5
#EconSky
We’re Planning for the Wrong AI Job Disruption https://archive.ph/2026.02.04-151036/https://www.wsj.com/opinion/were-planning-for-the-wrong-ai-job-disruption-2264d219
"Many politicians and commentators assume that if #AI can perform some of a job’s tasks, the role will disappear. 1/5
We’re Planning for the Wrong AI Job Disruption https://archive.ph/2026.02.04-151036/https://www.wsj.com/opinion/were-planning-for-the-wrong-ai-job-disruption-2264d219
"Many politicians and commentators assume that if #AI can perform some of a job’s tasks, the role will disappear. 1/5
archive.ph
February 4, 2026 at 6:00 PM
#EconSky
We’re Planning for the Wrong AI Job Disruption https://archive.ph/2026.02.04-151036/https://www.wsj.com/opinion/were-planning-for-the-wrong-ai-job-disruption-2264d219
"Many politicians and commentators assume that if #AI can perform some of a job’s tasks, the role will disappear. 1/5
We’re Planning for the Wrong AI Job Disruption https://archive.ph/2026.02.04-151036/https://www.wsj.com/opinion/were-planning-for-the-wrong-ai-job-disruption-2264d219
"Many politicians and commentators assume that if #AI can perform some of a job’s tasks, the role will disappear. 1/5
systems working with a narrower, more fragile foundation of information, making their outputs increasingly dependent on whatever remains openly accessible"
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013313837834958 3/3
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013313837834958 3/3
February 4, 2026 at 5:00 PM
systems working with a narrower, more fragile foundation of information, making their outputs increasingly dependent on whatever remains openly accessible"
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013313837834958 3/3
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013313837834958 3/3
#paywalls and exclusive licensing are increasingly the norm. This will continue to shrink the freely available corpus of #information upon which both human knowledge and future #AI training depend.
The result will be a degraded and privatized information base. It will leave future AI 2/3
The result will be a degraded and privatized information base. It will leave future AI 2/3
February 4, 2026 at 5:00 PM
#paywalls and exclusive licensing are increasingly the norm. This will continue to shrink the freely available corpus of #information upon which both human knowledge and future #AI training depend.
The result will be a degraded and privatized information base. It will leave future AI 2/3
The result will be a degraded and privatized information base. It will leave future AI 2/3
The AI-Powered Web Is Eating Itself https://www.noemamag.com/the-ai-powered-web-is-eating-itself
"AI threatens the business model of digital content creation across the board. As publishers lose traffic, there remains little incentive for them to keep content #free and #accessible. Instead, 1/3
"AI threatens the business model of digital content creation across the board. As publishers lose traffic, there remains little incentive for them to keep content #free and #accessible. Instead, 1/3
The AI-Powered Web Is Eating Itself | NOEMA
Without a framework of “Artificial Integrity,” AI search platforms risk collapsing the information commons that made the web possible.
www.noemamag.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:00 PM
The AI-Powered Web Is Eating Itself https://www.noemamag.com/the-ai-powered-web-is-eating-itself
"AI threatens the business model of digital content creation across the board. As publishers lose traffic, there remains little incentive for them to keep content #free and #accessible. Instead, 1/3
"AI threatens the business model of digital content creation across the board. As publishers lose traffic, there remains little incentive for them to keep content #free and #accessible. Instead, 1/3
initially optimistic and initially pessimistic job seekers find employment more quickly when holding more accurate beliefs."
#LaborMarkets #jobtech #wageTransparency
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013223716586827 4/4
#LaborMarkets #jobtech #wageTransparency
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013223716586827 4/4
February 4, 2026 at 4:30 PM
initially optimistic and initially pessimistic job seekers find employment more quickly when holding more accurate beliefs."
#LaborMarkets #jobtech #wageTransparency
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013223716586827 4/4
#LaborMarkets #jobtech #wageTransparency
orig https://fediscience.org/@davdittrich/116013223716586827 4/4