Data centers are the physical infrastructure behind cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and enterprise software. The rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) is intensifying demand for compute, accelerating investment in data centers, and raising concerns about the local economic and environmental...

We identify a novel behavioral driver of environmental performance. An increase in country­level consumer sentiment leads to sustained reduction in emission intensity over a multiyear horizon. Since consumer sentiment increases investment, productivity, energy efficiency, and stock market returns, a plausible...

We derive the theoretical predictions of diagnostic expectations regarding the transmission of sentiment to investment, employment, income, and consumption under imperfect information. We show and verify that, unlike rational expectations, diagnostic expectations predict short-term overreaction and subsequent reversals particularly in...

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) serves as a hub for cutting-edge analysis and research across the entire University of Chicago economics community, uniting researchers from the Booth School of Business, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the...

Inspired by our namesakes, Nobel Laureates Gary Becker and Milton Friedman, who believed that economics research could help improve the world, BFI works with the Chicago Economics community to turn its evidence-based research into real-world impact.

University of Chicago faculty members and other accomplished economists set the goals and direction of the Institute.

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