David Rothschild

Economist at Microsoft Research in New York City whose work spans prediction markets, polling, social media and online data, behavioral and administrative data, and practical economic questions including public opinion, news markets, advertising, finance, and public policy; he has recently presented on agentic markets and AI-driven workflow reconstruction.

AI’s Biggest Disruption Requires Rebuilding Markets Around Agents

David Rothschild argues that AI’s largest economic effects will come less from better models than from whether workflows and markets are rebuilt for agents rather than humans. In his Microsoft Research Forum talk and related work on agentic markets, he says the key question is architectural: open systems could reduce communication friction and spread welfare gains, while closed platforms could use the same capabilities to reinforce incumbency. The transition, in his account, depends on choices about delegation, monitoring, auditability, and market access that are being made before the full disruption is visible.

Microsoft ResearchMay 14, 20265 min read