Bennett Institute for Public Policy

In the AI Story

The Institute's research programme reflects Coyle's characteristic combination of analytical rigor and institutional pragmatism. The working papers on firm-level AI adoption (with Jörden and Poquiz), time-use measurement (with Leonard Nakamura), and digital economy measurement translate theoretical frameworks into empirical instruments that statistical offices and policy ministries can adopt.

The Institute also serves as an advocacy platform for the measurement reforms Coyle has championed. Its collaborations with the UK Office for National Statistics, international statistical organizations, and the OECD have produced proposals for integrating wellbeing, household production, and intangible capital into mainstream economic reporting. The proposals have been partially adopted; the institutional reform programme is measured in decades rather than years.

For the AI-revolution reader, the Institute represents the kind of dam-building infrastructure that the transition requires. Individual builders cannot rebuild national accounting systems. Institutional capacity — sustained research programmes, trained analysts, relationships with statistical offices and international organizations — is what converts measurement critique into measurement reform.

The Institute's advisory work extends beyond the UK. Coyle's engagement with the OECD's Beyond GDP programme, the UN's System of National Accounts revisions, and the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi framework has made the Bennett Institute one of the globally significant nodes in the measurement reform network.

Origin

The Bennett Institute was established at Cambridge in 2018 through a gift from Peter Bennett. Coyle was appointed founding co-director, holding the Bennett Chair of Public Policy. The Institute's Programme on AI and Digital Technology developed through collaborations with Cambridge computer science, the Cambridge Centre for Future Intelligence, and international partners.

Key Ideas

Institutional bridge. The Institute connects academic research with policy implementation through working papers, briefings, and statistical office collaborations.

Empirical foundation. Research on firm-level AI adoption, time-use measurement, and digital economy measurement provides the evidence base for reform proposals.

Reform advocacy. Engagement with ONS, OECD, UN, and national statistical offices translates Coyle's theoretical framework into operational proposals.

Global node. The Institute is part of the international measurement reform network that includes the Stiglitz commission, OECD Beyond GDP, and related programmes.