Council brings together leading academics from MIT, Stanford and Georgetown to advise on AI-human workforce design, identify labor market shifts, and guide Upwork’s AI-powered evolution

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upwork Inc. (Nasdaq: UPWK), the world’s work marketplace, today announced the formation of the Upwork Economic Advisory Council, a group of preeminent economists, scientists, and researchers who will provide strategic guidance to the company as it advances its human and AI-powered platform to better serve customers around the world in getting work done.

As AI reshapes industries and workforces globally, the Upwork Economic Advisory Council will offer critical insight into the economic, social, and ethical implications of AI’s rapid integration into work and the workforce, ensuring Upwork’s innovations in the space are grounded in rigorous, real-world research.

With millions of interactions and transactions taking place each year, Upwork’s platform offers one of the most comprehensive views into how work is evolving. As a self-contained labor marketplace with $4 billion in gross services volume (GSV) in 2024 alone, activity on the platform often serves as an early indicator of broader labor market trends. Upwork’s latest research on how AI is reshaping work is available here.

“Work is being reshaped by AI,” said Hayden Brown, president and CEO of Upwork. “By assembling the best minds at the intersection of economics, technology, and business management, we are advancing our commitment to create opportunity for our customers by building the next frontier of human and AI-powered flexible work. Our dynamic marketplace and cutting-edge technology uniquely position us to be a pioneer, and this Council will only further that work.”

The Economic Advisory Council spans expertise across labor economics, marketplace design, organizational productivity, behavioral science, and technology. Members include:

• Dr. Nicholas Bloom, professor of economics at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). Bloom’s research focuses on management practices, productivity measurement, and organizational behavior, with recent studies exploring the future of remote work and AI’s impact on workplace dynamics.
• Dr. John Horton, associate professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Horton’s research focuses on information systems, market design, labor economics, organizational dynamics, and the effects of AI on labor markets.
• Dr. Kelly Monahan, managing director of the Upwork Research Institute. Monahan studies and writes on emerging technologies, workforce transformation, and the integration of non-traditional talent models like freelancing, with particular emphasis on human-centric approaches to AI adoption and organizational design.
• Dr. Sendhil Mullainathan, professor in the Department of Economics and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. Mullainathan’s research applies machine learning to complex problems in human behavior, social policy, and medicine.
• Dr. Dewey Murdick, executive director of Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Murdick specializes in technology foresight, AI policy, and data science, with a focus on how emerging technologies reshape labor markets and societal structures.
• Dr. Andrew Rabinovich, VP of artificial intelligence and machine learning at Upwork. Rabinovich leads Upwork’s AI transformation strategy, drawing on over two decades of expertise in machine learning and computer vision. Rabinovich’s research primarily focuses on computer vision, multimodal learning, and structured deep learning architectures.
• Dr. Melissa Valentine, associate professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI. Valentine’s research examines how AI and algorithmic systems transform collaboration, organizational design, and workforce structures.
  

The council’s mandate is to:

• Advise on frameworks to measure productivity, performance, and economic value in AI-enabled work.
• Guide the integration of ethical and economic principles into AI-driven marketplace evolution.
• Identify early indicators of labor market shifts driven by AI adoption.
• Provide strategic insight into emerging skills and talent supply trends.
• Collaborate on research and thought leadership.
  

“Academic research in artificial intelligence has exploded, quadrupling since 2015, yet work at the intersection of AI and labor markets remains limited,” said Dr. Kelly Monahan, managing director of the Upwork Research Institute. “Our Economic Advisory Council aims to close that gap, translating cutting-edge research into practical applications that protect human agency, ensure marketplace trust, and expand opportunity in an AI-enabled future.”

Upwork’s new council underscores the company’s broader commitment to human-centered, responsible AI innovation. To learn more about the council’s work and members, visit the Upwork Research Institute: https://www.upwork.com/research.

About Upwork

Upwork is the world’s largest work marketplace that connects businesses with highly skilled, AI-enabled independent talent from across the globe. From entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 enterprises, companies rely on Upwork’s trusted platform and its mindful AI companion, Uma, to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With on-demand access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI & machine learning, software development, sales & marketing, customer support, finance & accounting, and more, Upwork enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and build agile teams for the age of AI and beyond.

Upwork’s platform has facilitated more than $25 billion in economic opportunity for talent around the world. Learn more at upwork.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.

Contact:
Christine Lee
press@upwork.com