The London School of Economics and Political Science announces $1.5 million in funding from Google.org
Google.org has provided the LSE Data Science Institute (DSI) $1,500,000 in funding to support its research related to AI and the economy that will advance academic scholarship, fill critical gaps in the evidence base for AI’s impact on the economy, and inform economic policymaking. The funding has been announced as part of the London School of Economics and Political Science’s 2026 Global Forum for AI and the Social Sciences.
The funding will support research across four broad themes. The first theme explores how AI is transforming labour markets and the economy. The second looks at the implications of AI for productivity, innovation and economic growth. A third theme focuses on the policy responses needed to address AI’s economic impacts, exploring how AI can fuel state capacity and drive policy innovation. Beyond studying AI as an economic phenomenon, a fourth theme develops AI tools to support social science discovery, spearhead methodological innovation and enable social scientists to ask questions that were previously out of reach.
By drawing on expertise from across the social sciences, LSE will generate evidence to help ensure that advances in AI are informed by a deeper understanding of their economic and societal effects.
Professor Helen Margetts, Director of the DSI, said:
"AI technologies are developing rapidly, but many of the questions they raise are fundamentally social. We need to understand how these technologies can be designed and deployed in ways that serve economies and societies. This means bringing social science insight directly into how AI is developed, examining how it is changing our world and using AI tools to open up new ways of understanding people, economies and societies.
The funding from Google.org will strengthen our research efforts. We will examine how AI is changing labour markets, productivity, innovation and public policy, while also developing new methods for social science research. We are extremely thankful to Google for supporting this work."
About the Data Science Institute
The Data Science Institute is the hub for AI and data science at the London School of Economics and Political Science. It conducts multidisciplinary research, advises policymakers at the highest levels, and convenes a global community across government, industry, academia and civil society. The Institute places social science expertise at the heart of the design, development and deployment of AI to help shape a future where technology benefits society.
The DSI is transforming into a world-leading Global Institute for Frontier Technologies and Society. The Institute will realise LSE’s bold vision to place the social sciences at the centre of AI development to shape the world for the better.