Aija Leiponen
aijaleiponen.bsky.social
Aija Leiponen
@aijaleiponen.bsky.social

Professor of digital innovation strategy @Cornell
Interested in decarbonization innovation

Business 59%
Economics 26%

What he said

Reposted by Aija Leiponen

5. AI data centers can bring their own clean energy and enough for the community too, while building out local grid for electrification so households don’t get stuck with the bill: fas.org/publication/...
Speed Grid Connection Using ‘Smart AI Fast Lanes’
Federal and state governments need to ensure that the development of new AI and data center infrastructure does not increase costs for consumers, impact the environment, and exacerbate existing inequa...
fas.org

So epstein was a mentor to summers in abusing young women. In 2018.
The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving.

Who Exactly Ruined the Workplace, Including the Economics Profession?
1/ Egalitarianism should begin at home. I link to this article by @bencasselman.bsky.social in light of the communications between Larry Summers and Jeffrey Epstein that have just been released. The released emails and the fact of friendship are vile.

www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/b...
For Women in Economics, the Hostility Is Out in the Open (Published 2021)
www.nytimes.com
The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving.
1/ Egalitarianism should begin at home. I link to this article by @bencasselman.bsky.social in light of the communications between Larry Summers and Jeffrey Epstein that have just been released. The released emails and the fact of friendship are vile.

www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/b...
For Women in Economics, the Hostility Is Out in the Open (Published 2021)
www.nytimes.com

Wow this is an incredible paper!
Frontier knowledge exposure can narrow socioeconomic disparities.

It actually matters what you teach!
Update your syllabus and stay on the frontier - it will increase your students’ wages. Epic work by my colleagues @barbarabiasi.com and @profsongma.bsky.social #linkoftheday

www.barbarabiasi.com/uploads/1/0/...
Update your syllabus and stay on the frontier - it will increase your students’ wages. Epic work by my colleagues @barbarabiasi.com and @profsongma.bsky.social #linkoftheday

www.barbarabiasi.com/uploads/1/0/...

This absolutely nuts.
I'm not sure there is a single scientist in the US who has not advised a Chinese graduate student in the past 5 years.
“The prohibited activities would include joint research, co-authorship on papers, and advising a foreign graduate student or postdoctoral fellow. The language is retroactive, meaning any interactions during the previous 5 years could make a scientist ineligible for future federal funding.”
U.S. Congress considers sweeping ban on Chinese collaborations
Researchers speak out against proposal that would bar funding for U.S. scientists working with Chinese partners or training Chinese students
www.science.org
“The prohibited activities would include joint research, co-authorship on papers, and advising a foreign graduate student or postdoctoral fellow. The language is retroactive, meaning any interactions during the previous 5 years could make a scientist ineligible for future federal funding.”
U.S. Congress considers sweeping ban on Chinese collaborations
Researchers speak out against proposal that would bar funding for U.S. scientists working with Chinese partners or training Chinese students
www.science.org

Whoa! According to Jason Furman the only US industry to grow this year has been data centers & IT
This seems significant.

"U.S. GDP growth in the first half of 2025 was almost entirely driven by investment in data centers and information processing technology, according to Harvard economist Jason Furman."
Without data centers, GDP growth was 0.1% in the first half of 2025, Harvard economist says | Fortune
Is a U.S. without data centers a country without GDP growth?
fortune.com

Reposted by Aija Leiponen

This seems significant.

"U.S. GDP growth in the first half of 2025 was almost entirely driven by investment in data centers and information processing technology, according to Harvard economist Jason Furman."
Without data centers, GDP growth was 0.1% in the first half of 2025, Harvard economist says | Fortune
Is a U.S. without data centers a country without GDP growth?
fortune.com

Ok. Do you have a source that explains why it won't happen? I'm not a technical expert but am curious.

Electrify! Electrify! Electrify!

And develop cheap green hydrogen.
Electrification could now reach 75% of all energy demand, as the road-transport and heating sectors rapidly electrify 🔥🚗

These two sectors account for 50% of global energy use and are now ready to switch from fossil molecules to clean electrons.

https://loom.ly/BwyhReA

Electrification could now reach 75% of all energy demand, as the road-transport and heating sectors rapidly electrify 🔥🚗

These two sectors account for 50% of global energy use and are now ready to switch from fossil molecules to clean electrons.

https://loom.ly/BwyhReA

Cornell's agreement actually explicitly restored academic freedom but it allows gov access to anonymized admission data (but not set the criteria).

Now would be a great time to stop legacy admission practices across the ivies and other top private universities.
A good summary of why Cornell's capitulation to authoritarian extortion is an affront to democracy and academic freedom. aaup-cornell.org/2025/11/07/s...
A good summary of why Cornell's capitulation to authoritarian extortion is an affront to democracy and academic freedom. aaup-cornell.org/2025/11/07/s...

Reposted by Aija Leiponen

It looks bad because it is bad #EconSky

Yes?

Reposted by Aija Leiponen

Finland has a goal to be net zero GHG emissions by 2035.

Emissions were declining, the LULUCF removals were strong, the plan was looking good, but then LULUCF collapsed.

Net GHG emissions have actually risen over the last decade!

www.treasuryfinland.fi/investor-rel...

1/

Unreal
Trump posts AI video showing him literally dumping shit on America
Trump posts AI video showing him literally dumping shit on America
Transparency helps innovation ... until it doesn't.

My new paper with Cunningham, Hodgson, and Wang (on the JM!) studies the 2017 FDA Final Rule, which required drug firms to publicly disclose all clinical trial results.

Disclosure increased, but innovation slowed.
cowles.yale.edu/sites/defaul...
The Portland Frog army has now infiltrated Tulsa, OK and they’ve made an unlikely alliance with the T-Rex infantry and Sharks on Hoverboards mercenary forces.

This is truly terrifying.

Reposted by Aija Leiponen

Ending slavery increased GDP by 9.1% as slavery reduced the welfare of the enslaved substantially, while only generating minuscule welfare gains to slave owners. Fascinating topic that once again highlights how coercive instructions are economically detrimental!

www.nber.org/papers/w3435...
The Economic Geography of American Slavery
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org

An NFT of a stock is not a stock
The crash is going to be brutal when it comes.

Robinhood says "it might offer "tokenized" equity in OpenAI. By "tokenized," Business Insider reports, Robinhood means "blockchain-enabled representations of securities like stocks." In reality, they have no connection to OpenAI equity whatsoever."

Reposted by Aija Leiponen

The crash is going to be brutal when it comes.

Robinhood says "it might offer "tokenized" equity in OpenAI. By "tokenized," Business Insider reports, Robinhood means "blockchain-enabled representations of securities like stocks." In reality, they have no connection to OpenAI equity whatsoever."