August 2026
31Aug

ECB warning of AI bubble: Contagion and concentration risk spreads

Warnings of a potential AI bubble have not exactly been thin on the ground lately. All the same, a blog post on August 17 by four senior economists at the European Central Bank (ECB) garnered extra attention, thanks to its source and prognosis. “Extremely optimistic valuations raise questions: do today’s stock market prices reflect a rational bet on the transformative technology?” the blog post notes, adding that a replay of the turn-of-the-century dotcom bubble and bust is far more likely. Concentration...

August 31, 2026
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28Aug

Hong Kong expands AI sandbox with projects that include banks, securities and insurance

Hong Kong’s financial regulators have selected the first batch of projects for an expanded generative artificial-intelligence (GenAI) testing programme spanning banking, securities, insurance and pensions, as the city explores the use of more autonomous AI agents in financial services. A total of 36 use cases were selected for the first cohort of the expanded GenAI Sandbox++ programme, according to a joint statement on Thursday by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), Insurance Authority and Mandatory...

August 28, 2026
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27Aug

80% of Americans Say U.S. Faces Retirement Crisis Amid Affordability Pressures and Debt; Americans Wary of AI Financial Advice and Crypto in Retirement Plans

As affordability pressures squeeze household budgets, Americans increasingly fear they will not be financially secure in retirement, while also expressing caution about artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency in retirement planning, according to new research from the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS). The new report, Retirement Insecurity 2026: Americans' Views of Retirement, finds that 80 percent of Americans say the nation faces a retirement crisis, up sharply from 67 percent in 2020. Additionally, more than six in ten Americans (61 percent)...

August 27, 2026
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21Aug

The Global Transition – The Impact of Demographics and AI on Economic Power

By Seth Benzell, Laurence J. Kotlikoff & Victor Yifan Ye This study deploys a multi-region, dynamic life-cycle, general equilibrium model to assess demography’s impact, through the course of this century, on global development. Our model’s 17 regions encompass more than 150 countries comprising 99% of the world’s population. Output is produced with three labor skill groups and internationally-mobile capital, with each country deciding annually whether to adopt its frontier automation technology. Our model features region-specific fiscal policy, TFP growth, and...

August 21, 2026
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07Aug

AI, Fiscal Space, and Social Protection in Four Latin American Economies: ;A Scenario-based Threshold Framework

By Vicenzo Scavino Can fiscal space from artificial intelligence finance recurrent social protection in Latin America? This paper develops a prespecified, scenario-based feasibility test that translates an AI dividend into income and fiscal capture, compares it with policy costs, and applies debt-consistency and persistence screens. For Peru, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, no deterministic crossing occurs under non-stress scenarios because translation and capture jointly fall short. Crossings arise only under diagnostic disruption: Chilean guaranteed minimum income is conditionally feasible and debt-consistent;...

August 7, 2026
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07Aug

U.S. Public Pension Funds Consider AI for Productivity Uses

As artificial intelligence influences more day-to-day operations across investment organizations, public pension fund sponsors report being cautious about its use for investment functions and plan administration, according to a recent National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems study. The NCPERS research brief, “AI Adoption and Strategy in Public Pension Administration,” found that 58% of DB plan sponsor respondents reported being “optimistic or very optimistic” about AI’s impact on DB administration over the next decade. Some 63% of respondents cited a...

August 7, 2026
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07Aug

When aging meets digital & AI: Closing the silver digital divide for an aging world

We are living through two megatrends humanity has never seen before. The first is aging. Populations over 65 are growing not just in developed countries, but across many middle-income economies. As societies age, the strains pile up: fewer workers,  weaker demand, overstretched health systems, and rising risks to long-term fiscal sustainability. The second is the technology revolution. Digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can now deliver services once scarce and costly, from tutoring workers to guiding patients and delivering public services. These are the...

August 7, 2026
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July 2026
07Jul

Pension giant pours US$1.75 billion into global AI infrastructure

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board will invest $2.4bn to back EQT's expansion into artificial intelligence infrastructure through data centre developer EdgeConneX. The commitment increases the fund manager's exposure to digital infrastructure, a sector it ties to long-term returns for Canada Pension Plan contributors and beneficiaries, according to the announcement. CPP Investments said the transaction has closed after receipt of customary approvals. Max Biagosch, senior managing director and global head of real assets at the fund, linked the decision to rising demand...

July 7, 2026
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03Jul

How Rational Is AI Investment Advice? Risk-Return Relevance in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Investments

By Nanying Lin, Oscar Gilbert & Tianxiang Chu Textbook finance theories indicate that investors demand risk premia from risky assets as compensation for risk and for hedging against future unfavorable economic states. We design a comprehensive study to examine whether investment advice generated by artificial intelligence (AI) reflects a coherent risk–return pattern in investment decision-making. We find that AI advises investors to increase stock investments when return increases and reduce stock allocations when stock volatility increases. However, AI ignores the...

July 3, 2026
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03Jul

Artificial Intelligence in Elderly Care: Navigating Ethical and Responsible AI Adoption for Seniors

By David Mhlanga This paper delves into the critical intersection of ageing and the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence (AI). This exploration is anchored in the recognition of the unique potential that AI holds for enhancing the lives of seniors, while also acknowledging the complex ethical and practical challenges that accompany its adoption in elder care. The paper comprehensively examines how AI can revolutionize healthcare, assistive technologies, and social engagement for the elderly, offering solutions that promise increased independence,...

July 3, 2026
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