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Noah Smith

An economist offering optimistic and analytical takes on economics, technology, and geopolitics.

www.noahpinion.blog www.thefp.com
30
articles (90 days)
2
followers

Recent articles

Trump actually started to decouple America from China
The "economic divorce" between the two countries is proceeding slowly, but it is proceeding.
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Tyrants are losing wars
Ruthlessness and machismo will only get you so far in a technological world.
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Do billionaires earn their money?
That's probably the wrong question.
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Barack Obama was a successful President
A repost, because I'm annoyed.
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Could development economics be more useful?
What's really needed is humility.
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AI's big messaging pivot
Some top AI leaders now say their technology will create jobs. Should we believe them?
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California's "billionaire tax" is the wrong approach
Left-populist instincts are leading to silly policy ideas.
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Roundup #81: Back to our regular programming
National debt; AI cyberattacks; Phone bans; AI and coding jobs; Millennials vs. Boomers; Public order; California YIMBYism
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Scoring the Jensen-Dwarkesh debate
Export controls are holding back Chinese AI. Should we keep them?
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The moderately easy problem of consciousness
Before deciding if computers are self-aware, let's figure out how humans become self-aware.
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Why shoplifting is bad
It may feel like a small act of rebellion, but it hurts a lot of people who don't deserve it.
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Is China's soft power really rising, or is America's just crumbling?
Chinamaxxing vs. Americaminning.
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No, America is not in a "stealth manufacturing boom"
Tariffs are canceling out the tailwinds.
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Updated thoughts on industrial policy
Economic consensus is changing, but it has a long way to go.
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Hasan Piker is bad for the Democrats
Republicans embraced extremist ideology and it backfired on them. Democrats shouldn't follow suit.
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You are what you consume
Personal identity should come from the things we get to choose for ourselves.
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What if a few AI companies end up with all the money and power?
Contemplating the grim future of the "Robot Lords".
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Will Americans want more housing if it looks prettier?
Maybe a little bit, but I have my doubts.
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Yes, assimilation is good
Building a unified American culture isn't about bullying people; it's about living together in peace.
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I told you this would end badly
In retrospect, there were signs that Trump was not a good leader.
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Roundup #80: All AI, all the time
Growth; Biosecurity; Cybersecurity; Pseudonymity; Quant trading; AI adoption
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Salarymen, specialists, and small businesses
Some brief thoughts on the (near) future of work.
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How Japan has changed in the last 20 years
Reflections on a unique nation.
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If you're in Tokyo this Friday, come to my hanami!
An annual tradition.
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Maybe you should have bought an electric car
The Iran War is illustrating the cost of anti-EV nonsense.
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Plentiful, high-paying jobs in the age of AI
A timely repost, with some needed clarifications.
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AI has the worst sales pitch I've ever seen
"Our product will make you economically useless, and possibly kill you" is not a value proposition.
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The economic consequences of the Iran war
The U.S. is likely to get off easy, while others will bear the brunt.
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There isn't always a "long arc" of morality
Progressives should beware the idea that history will deliver them inevitable victories.
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A conversation with Claude
In which a robot and I have a fun dorm-room chat about the future of science.
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