Northeastern University will host economist Daron Acemoglu on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026, for a noon conversation on artificial intelligence, democracy and the future of shared prosperity. The event is free and will take place in the Curry Student Center Ballroom in Boston.
Key facts
- The talk is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm ET.
- It will be held at the Curry Student Center Ballroom at Northeastern University.
- Admission is free.
- Acemoglu is an Institute Professor at MIT and the recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
- The conversation will focus on AI, technological change, liberal democracy and shared prosperity.
What this event means for Northeastern students and attendees
The event gives students, faculty and other attendees a chance to hear Acemoglu discuss how rapid AI development may affect work, economic power and political institutions. Northeastern says he will also discuss how societies can shape technology so that it expands human opportunity rather than deepening inequality.
Anyone attending should plan for the noon start and note that doors open at 11:45 am. A light lunch is scheduled at the start of the event, and books will be available for sale and signing after the talk.
- When: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026, 12:00–1:00 pm ET
- Where: Curry Student Center Ballroom
- Cost: Free
- Extra details: Doors open at 11:45 am; light lunch at the start; books for sale and signing afterward
Who is Daron Acemoglu and why does he matter here?
Daron Acemoglu is an economist at MIT and a 2024 Nobel Prize winner in Economic Sciences. Northeastern says his research on technology, power and economic institutions will frame a discussion of how AI is changing work and the conditions for liberal democracy. He is also known as a co-author of Why Nations Fail.
What will he discuss about AI?
Acemoglu’s talk is expected to place today’s AI wave in a longer history of technological disruption. Northeastern says he will examine how societies can guide AI and other powerful technologies so they strengthen democratic institutions and support broadly shared prosperity instead of increasing economic and political inequality.
What idea is Acemoglu bringing to the debate?
The event description says he will develop the idea of “working-class liberalism” as a possible framework for reconnecting democratic governance with widely shared economic gains. That makes the talk relevant not only to technology policy, but also to broader debates over how democracy adapts to new economic pressures.
Why this matters for higher education and public debate
For a university audience, the event links AI policy to institutional design, labor markets and democratic resilience. It also signals a broader trend in campus programming: bringing economists, policy thinkers and public intellectuals into direct conversation about the social effects of emerging technology.
