Launching the Anthropic Economic Futures Programme in the UK and Europe

AI adoption is increasing rapidly in Europe and the UK, but the conversation about how to manage its effects on labor and the economy is still at a very early stage. This matters: the decisions politicians make today will affect the continent’s labor force, productivity, and growth for years to come.

We want to help researchers, policymakers, and practitioners tackle this topic head-on. To that end, we’re expanding our Economic Futures Programme to the UK and Europe, starting with a symposium at the London School of Economics and Political Science with more to follow.

Building on our US launch, the Economic Futures Programme includes research grants and Claude credits for UK and EU researchers, forums like the Symposium for evaluating AI policy, and the provision of additional, more granular data about actual AI use in these countries.

A look into UK and European AI adoption

AI could compress decades’ worth of technological change into just a few years. The Anthropic Economic Index, which examines the use of Claude in the real world, reveals that AI adoption is already widespread in industries throughout the UK and Europe. Across the continent, Claude is most often used for coding. In the UK, though—and perhaps fittingly for a country with some of the oldest universities in the world—the most common use of Claude is support for academic research, writing, and educational content. In Germany, data shows Claude is bolstering local manufacturing, with especially high per capita use for calibrating, troubleshooting, and repairing equipment. And in France, Claude is supporting the country’s culture and tourism, with four times the global average use for information about dining, shopping and the nightlife.

The rapid adoption of AI demands a thoughtful policy response. To inform this, we hope to provide the data—and prompt some of the ideas—that will help British and European policymakers make informed decisions about this potential workforce transition.

The LSE Anthropic Economic Futures Symposium

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Anthropic Economic Futures Symposium will gather over a hundred experts from government, academia, and civil society to discuss AI's economic impact. Researchers selected through LSE’s and Anthropic’s open-call process will present policy proposals to inform conversations across both the UK and Europe.

"The LSE has been on the forefront of economic research for over a century, making it an ideal partner as we bring together researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to study the effects of AI," said Peter McCrory, Head of Economics at Anthropic. "Europe has a unique opportunity to develop approaches to AI adoption that drive growth and productivity while delivering those gains across the labor market. By combining rigorous research with practical policy recommendations, we can prepare for what’s ahead."

Bringing the Anthropic Economic Futures programme to Europe

As with the US, the Anthropic Economic Futures Programme in the UK and Europe will focus on three areas:

• Research grants: We will provide grants and API credits to European researchers investigating AI's effects on labor markets, productivity, or value creation. For full details, see here; applications are open here.
• Evidence-based policy: The LSE Symposium will mark the first of many forums where researchers, policymakers, and practitioners can develop and evaluate policy proposals grounded in real data on Europeans’ use of AI.
• Economic measurement and data: We're expanding the Anthropic Economic Index to provide more granular, Europe-specific information, with regular public data releases tracking AI adoption across European industries and regions.

Professor Cosmina Dorobantu at the London School of Economics added: "AI is forcing us to confront important questions about our economic future. Today's Symposium tackles these questions head-on. We are delighted to partner with Anthropic on this event, which exemplifies LSE's ambition to be the place where researchers, leading AI companies, policymakers, and civil society representatives converge to find solutions to the urgent socio-economic questions brought about by AI. Our work does not end here. Today marks the beginning of our collective efforts to ensure AI's transformative potential delivers an economy that works for everyone."

What's next for the UK and Europe

The decisions that people in Europe make today about the development, deployment, and governing of AI will shape the continent's economic future. We're committed to partnering with policymakers, academics and economists across the region to prepare for the transition ahead.

If you’re a researcher working on AI policy in the UK or Europe, you can submit your research proposal or learn more about the program at anthropic.com/economic-futures. For questions, contact economicfutures@anthropic.com.