From Information to Polarisation: Joseph Stiglitz on Incentives, Beliefs, and AI
Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz is a leading American New Keynesian economist, public policy scholar, and political commentator, and University Professor at Columbia University. He was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001 and previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank.
In this talk, Professor Stiglitz will explore how information, incentives, and institutional structures shape belief formation and contribute to rising political and economic polarisation. Drawing on insights from information economics, he will examine why individuals and groups can arrive at systematically different interpretations of the same reality, and how these divergences are amplified by contemporary media environments.
The discussion will also consider the role of artificial intelligence in transforming information ecosystems—both as a tool for expanding access to knowledge and as a force that may intensify fragmentation and bias. The event will reflect on the implications for public policy, democratic governance, and the prospects for shared understanding in an increasingly complex information landscape.
Professor Stiglitz will be in conversation with Professor Jean-Paul Carvalho, followed by an audience Q&A. The session will conclude with tea, coffee, and refreshments in the Common Room.
