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Salesforce Unveils AI Economist

In the AI Economist's world, anything's fair game
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Salesforce

· less than 3 min read

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That’s not a screenshot of Animal Crossing, it’s Salesforce’s “AI Economist.” The company’s research team is testing different tax schemes on a community of AI agents who live in a coronavirus-free computer simulation. The idea is to optimize social outcomes in the real world.

How it works: Using reinforcement learning, researchers built communities in which agents collect/trade resources and build houses. The goal is to find an optimal tax framework that minimizes inequality and maximizes productivity and economic #growth.

  • In tests, Salesforce says the AI economist improved the “balance between equality and productivity by at least 16%.”

In the AI Economist’s world, anything’s fair game. The project has simulated millions of years worth of economic life and tested all sorts of arrangements, including a world without taxes. That situation isn’t optimal, per Salesforce.

What we’re all wondering: How generalizable are the findings? Salesforce says they’re an improvement over Econ 101 models (shout out to the rational consumer). Down the road, the company plans to add more complexity into the AI Economist model.

Keep up with the innovative tech transforming business

Tech Brew keeps business leaders up-to-date on the latest innovations, automation advances, policy shifts, and more, so they can make informed decisions about tech.