Fed Chair Warsh forms AI task force with Andreessen, Xbox CEO Sharma to inform policy

By Ananya Gairola Sun, July 12, 2026 at 6:31 AM PDT | 5 min read

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Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has assembled a high-profile group of AI advocates to help evaluate how artificial intelligence could reshape the U.S. economy and influence future monetary policy.

Fed's New AI Task Force to Assess AI's Economic Impact

The Federal Reserve on Thursday unveiled five external task forces, including one focused on evaluating the economic effects of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

According to the Fed, the AI task force will "assess the economic impact of new general-purpose technologies, including artificial intelligence, to inform the Federal Reserve's policy judgments."

The panel, led by venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, includes:

• Charles I. Jones, Stanford economist
• Asha Sharma, newly appointed CEO of Microsoft Corp.'s gaming division (Xbox)

Kevin Warsh Sees AI as a Productivity Engine

Warsh has repeatedly argued that AI could allow the U.S. economy to grow faster without triggering inflation, according to CNBC.

Earlier this year, he suggested advances in AI could eventually support lower interest rates. In June, he described AI adoption as "perhaps as important a change in the economy and business and households that we've had in my adult lifetime."

However, not everyone at the Fed shares that optimism.

Minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee's June meeting showed policymakers acknowledged AI's potential to boost productivity but said there remains "considerable uncertainty" over both the timing and scale of those gains.

The tech industry has seen layoffs accelerate alongside rising investments in AI infrastructure, with more than 81,000 jobs cut during the first quarter of 2026.

Earlier this month, Microsoft unveiled plans to cut 4,800 jobs, including approximately 3,200 roles at Xbox. Of those, 1,600 layoffs took effect immediately, with another 1,600 scheduled over the coming year.

Who Is Leading the Fed's New Task Forces

The Fed also created four additional task forces:

Communications Panel

Led by:

• Peter R. Fisher, University of Washington professor
• Arminio Fraga, former Brazilian central bank chief
• Mervyn King, former Bank of England Governor

Balance Sheet Policy Group

Led by:

• Karen Dynan, Harvard economist
• Raghuram Rajan, former Reserve Bank of India Governor
• Jeremy Stein, former Federal Reserve Governor

Data Task Force

Led by:

• Raj Chetty, Harvard economist
• Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart Inc.
• Kevin Murphy, University of Chicago economist

Inflation Frameworks Panel

Led by:

• Greg Mankiw, Harvard economist and former White House adviser
• Thomas Sargent, Nobel Prize-winning economist
• William White, former Bank for International Settlements economic adviser

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