Federal Reserve Taps Nation's Most Committed AI Investor to Lead Independent Review of AI's Economic Impact

WASHINGTON—Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh on Thursday named Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz and author of the 2023 essay "Why AI Will Save the World," to co-lead a new task force charged with independently assessing artificial intelligence's macroeconomic impact on productivity and employment.

Andreessen Horowitz has invested in more than sixty AI companies since 2023, several valued above $10 billion. Andreessen published "The Techno-Optimist Manifesto" in October of that year, identifying skeptics of technological progress as "our enemies" and arguing that acceleration must not be impeded. He has since stated publicly that anyone who questions AI's economic benefits "simply hasn't looked at the data."

The task force will submit findings to the Federal Open Market Committee ahead of the Fed's fourth-quarter policy review.

"Marc brings a perspective on this technology that is genuinely unmatched," Warsh said in a statement, describing the appointment as part of an initiative to incorporate "outside expertise" into monetary policymaking.

A Fed spokesperson confirmed the task force has "full independence and latitude to reach any conclusion the evidence supports." The Fed did not respond to a follow-up question about whether Andreessen holds financial interests in companies positioned to benefit from favorable policy findings.

Andreessen did not respond to a request for comment. An Andreessen Horowitz spokesperson said he "looks forward to being helpful."

"The Fed wanted someone with real skin in the game," said a former central bank official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "On that criterion, there is simply no one better."