Danxia Xie and Buyuan Yang

Abstract

We build a novel endogenous growth model with information carrier technology, which can affect the degree of knowledge loss through storage and dissemination and thus influence innovation. In the asymptotic balanced growth path equilibrium, we establish two main findings. First, the growth rate of information carrier technology and the population growth rate are substitutes in determining the growth rate of output per capita and the proportion of labor allocated to research activities. Second, an increase in the population growth rate or the growth rate of information carrier technology will induce labor allocation bias toward research activities. Model calibration for 2,100 years indicates that along the transition path, sustained technological advances began in the year 1780, and economic growth took off 17 years later, corresponding to the start of the first Industrial Revolution. Our model helps to understand a core mechanism of the digital economy and provides a new explanation for the transition of the world economy from secular stagnation to modern growth, thus shedding new light on the Unified Growth Theory. Further theoretical discussions are extended to endogenous two-tier innovations of information carrier technology.

謝丹夏，清華大學社科學院經濟所博士生導師。獲芝加哥大學經濟學博士，哈佛大學公共政策碩士，杜克大學計算機碩士（已完成全部博士課程），北京大學計算機碩士。從事數字經濟、法律經濟學、宏觀、金融、國際經濟學等領域的理論與政策研究。在數字經濟領域研究涵蓋：數據經濟與宏觀增長，平台經濟與反壟斷，數字技術與經濟發展，金融科技，人工智能經濟，芯片經濟等。論文發表于American Economic Review、Management Science、《經濟研究》等國内外頂級經濟學、管理學期刊。首創提出“數據創新内生增長理論”、“監管增長理論”，在數字經濟研究領域具有重要影響。曾任職于全球著名智庫彼得森國際經濟研究所。在北大期間，參與我國第一個CPU北大“中國芯”(1999年)的研發。現主持國家自然科學基金“數字平台動态對社會福利與金融穩定的影響”面上項目，參與“數字經濟的博弈論基礎”自科重大項目、及社科重大項目多項。