Cyborg Economics

ABOUT

Economics for a world being reshaped by AI

Cyborg Economics is an independent advisory and research practice focused on the economics of AI adoption and on using AI to strengthen professional economic analysis.

FOUNDER

Nicholas Herrick

Founder, Cyborg Economics · Former Head, Department for Transport Economics Centre of Excellence

Nicholas brings more than 20 years of experience across UK government economics, including the Department for Transport, HM Treasury and Cabinet Office.

Most recently, he led the Department for Transport's Economics Centre of Excellence, managing a team of economists and supporting the quality of economic analysis used in major investment and policy decisions. His wider experience includes appraisal and strategic work on major transport programmes including High Speed 2, Northern Powerhouse Rail, East West Rail and Heathrow Expansion, as well as Spending Review and cross-government analytical work.

His current work focuses on the economics of AI adoption, enterprise readiness, productivity and value realisation, alongside appraisal, business cases and the use of AI to improve analytical workflows and assurance.

WHY CYBORG ECONOMICS

The economic question is shifting

As capable AI becomes more widely available, access to the technology tells us less about who will benefit. Economic performance increasingly depends on whether organisations can identify worthwhile applications, integrate them into real work, measure the results and scale what works.

That is the core territory of Cyborg Economics: understanding where value can be created, what organisational and economic constraints prevent it from being realised, and how better analysis can improve decisions.

Current focus

AI readiness

Organisational capability to convert AI potential into sustained, measurable performance.

Value realisation

Economic appraisal, measurement and evaluation of the benefits and costs associated with AI adoption.

Economic advisory

Appraisal, business cases and independent economic challenge for major decisions.

Read the flagship research

The Trillion-Dollar Opportunity develops the Cyborg Economics framework for AI value conversion and estimates the scale of productivity-equivalent value that may remain unrealised.

Explore the paper