4. Discussion & Results
Data collection, screening, analysis, and visualisation yielded a total of 256 documents related to “Artificial Intelligence and Macroeconomics or Econometrics” published between 1975 and 2025. These comprised 135 journal articles, 79 conference papers, 12 reviews, 10 books, 14 book chapters, 5 conference reviews, and 1 note. The United States (65 documents), China (43), the United Kingdom (17), and Italy (14) were identified as the leading contributors to research on artificial intelligence in macroeconomics/econometrics.
Figure 1 illustrates the distribution of document types published in the field of “Artificial Intelligence and Macroeconomics/Econometrics”.
Figure 1.
Distribution of Publications by Document Type.
Figure 1.
Distribution of Publications by Document Type.
Seven distinct research document types were identified. Among them, journal articles (n = 135) represent the largest share, indicating that the majority of scientific output in this domain has been disseminated through peer-reviewed research articles. This dominance suggests that the field’s core knowledge production is primarily academic and research-driven, with other formats—such as conference papers, reviews, books, and book chapters—playing complementary roles.
Figure 2 presents the geographical distribution of publications related to
“Artificial Intelligence and Macroeconomics/Econometrics
” based on Scopus data (1975–2025).
The United States (n = 65) and China (n = 43) dominate this field, reflecting their leading investment and research capacity in data-driven economics. The United Kingdom (n = 17) and Italy (n = 14) follow as active contributors.
Countries such as Iran, Russia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Singapore, and Switzerland each have only a few publications (n = 3), indicating that while engagement has begun, research in these contexts remains at an early stage.
Overall, the map shows a high concentration of research output in technologically advanced economies, alongside emerging participation from developing regions.
Table 1 summarises the number of research documents related to “Artificial Intelligence” and “Macroeconomics/Econometrics” across the top ten contributing countries based on Scopus data. The results indicate a global yet uneven participation in this interdisciplinary domain. The United States (n = 65) and China (n = 43) account for the largest shares of total publications, reflecting their strong research capacity, financial investment, and policy emphasis on data-driven economics. Iran has produced three documents in this field, similar to countries such as Russia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Singapore, and Switzerland, which positions it among emerging contributors with early-stage research engagement. Given the growing global importance of artificial intelligence in macroeconomic and econometric analysis, greater interdisciplinary collaboration, international research networking, and increased R&D investment could significantly enhance Iran’s scientific visibility and impact in this evolving area.
Table 1.
The Top 10 Countries by Number of Publications (1975–2025).
Table 1.
The Top 10 Countries by Number of Publications (1975–2025).
| Number of Documents (n) |
Country |
Rank |
| 65 |
United States |
1 |
| 43 |
China |
2 |
| 17 |
United Kingdom |
3 |
| 14 |
Italy |
4 |
| 14 |
Undefined |
5 |
| 11 |
India |
6 |
| 11 |
Taiwan |
7 |
| 10 |
France |
8 |
| 9 |
Germany |
9 |
| 9 |
Netherlands |
10 |
Figure 3 and
Table 2 display the annual evolution of publications in the field of
“Artificial Intelligence and Macroeconomics/Econometrics
”.
The results show that research output remained scarce and sporadic between 1975 and the late 1990s, with most years showing zero or one publication. From the early 2000s, and particularly after 2010, a steady upward trajectory is observed, reflecting the growing integration of AI methods into economic modelling. The most significant growth occurred in 2024 (n = 31) and 2025 (n = 35), marking the field’s acceleration and maturity phase. This surge can be attributed to the global expansion of digital infrastructures, advances in machine learning, and increased research investment in applied AI economics. The trend confirms that AI-driven macroeconomic analysis has transitioned from an emerging topic to a recognised interdisciplinary research frontier by 2025.
The data reveal that research activity remained minimal and sporadic from 1975 until the late 1990s, with most years producing zero or one document. From the early 2000s onwards, and particularly after 2010, the number of studies shows a steady and then accelerated increase. The highest growth rate occurred in 2025 (n = 35), followed by 2024 (n = 31), which together mark the peak phase of scholarly output in the field. This sustained rise after 2010 coincides with the expansion of artificial intelligence technologies and the growing integration of AI-based tools into economic forecasting, education, and research investments. Overall, the trend indicates a clear transition from a nascent to a mature and fast-developing research domain, reflecting the strategic importance of AI applications in macroeconomic and econometric studies.
Figure 4.
Top 10 Institutional Affiliations (Based on Scopus Data) Source: Scopus (1975–2025).
Figure 4.
Top 10 Institutional Affiliations (Based on Scopus Data) Source: Scopus (1975–2025).
Table 3 shows that the most active institutions in AI-related macroeconomic research are predominantly universities and public research centres, confirming that academic communities drive innovation in this field. MIT, with five publications, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with four, stand out as the leading contributors, reflecting their early integration of AI in economic modelling and decision frameworks. European institutions such as Warsaw University of Life Sciences and the University of Macedonia also play visible roles, highlighting the geographical diversity of research. The Amirkabir University of Technology (Iran), although appearing with only one indexed paper outside this top ten, signals the beginning of regional participation in this growing interdisciplinary domain.
Figure 5.
Top Authors and Number of Contributions. Scopus (1975 – October 14, 2025).
Figure 5.
Top Authors and Number of Contributions. Scopus (1975 – October 14, 2025).
The analysis of author productivity in the field of artificial intelligence and macroeconomics shows that only a small number of researchers (three authors) account for the highest publication counts (three documents each). This pattern indicates a moderate concentration of research activity among a few recurring contributors, suggesting limited but consistent collaboration networks. In contrast, the majority of authors have produced only one paper, revealing a high level of diversity and dispersed authorship within the field. The wide variety of names and affiliations reflects the multinational and multidisciplinary nature of current research, where scholars from different countries and academic backgrounds contribute to the evolving intersection between artificial intelligence, econometrics, and macroeconomic studies.
Figure 6 and
Table 6 show that research on artificial intelligence and macroeconomics is published across a broad range of journals, confirming the field’s multidisciplinary and evolving nature. Journals such as Sustainability and Technological Forecasting and Social Change jointly occupy the first rank with five articles each, emphasising the growing intersection of AI with sustainability studies and technology-driven economic forecasting. In addition, outlets like Expert Systems with Applications and the Journal of Risk and Financial Management highlight the applied and financial dimensions of this emerging discipline. The absence of a single dominant publication venue suggests that this research stream is dispersed yet rapidly expanding, engaging audiences from economics, computer science, and management.
Figure 7.
International co-authorship network on artificial intelligence in macroeconomics research. Source: Authors’ analysis based on Scopus (1975–October 2025) using VOSviewer v1.6.20.
Figure 7.
International co-authorship network on artificial intelligence in macroeconomics research. Source: Authors’ analysis based on Scopus (1975–October 2025) using VOSviewer v1.6.20.
The international co-authorship network visualised in Figure 7 reveals a multi-cluster and semi-polarised structure in global research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Macroeconomics.
Six major collaboration clusters were identified, summarised below:
Green Cluster – Technology and Innovation Nexus:
Comprising India, Germany, Israel, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa, this group focuses on technological and industrial applications of AI to economic development and innovation policy. It reflects an emerging convergence between technologically advanced and developing economies.
Blue Cluster – Digital Economics and European Policy:
Dominated by Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, and Belgium, this cluster represents the European strand of research on digital macroeconomics, emphasising data-driven fiscal frameworks and economic modelling. Italy and France serve as key linking nodes connecting the European network with the UK.
Orange Cluster – East Asian Dynamics:
Centred on China and including Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Spain, Australia, and Mexico, this cluster focuses on machine-learning models for macro-financial forecasting and trade analytics. China acts as the principal hub in East Asia, bridging Asian and Southern European partners.
Purple Cluster – Transatlantic Broking:
A smaller but strategically significant group led by the United Kingdom and Belgium, functioning as a bridge between North America and Europe. The UK serves as a key broker node, linking Western and Eastern scientific communities.
Brown Cluster – Core Hegemon Network:
Anchored by the United States, along with Iran, Vietnam, Poland, the Netherlands, and Greece, this cluster forms the central nucleus of the entire co-authorship map with the highest Total Link Strength. Countries like Iran and Vietnam appear in peripheral yet connected positions, signalling growing participation in global AI-economics research.
Yellow Cluster – Emerging European Cooperation:
Including Poland, Greece, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands, this cluster shows medium-scale collaborative activity related to productivity studies and data-driven economic assessment, largely in partnership with the United States.
Macro-level Network Interpretation
The network structure demonstrates a highly centralised and polarised pattern of global knowledge production. The United States and China emerge as the dual intellectual poles, directing the main flow of research. European countries—notably Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom—play an intermediary and balancing role, serving as connectors between the Western and Eastern research spheres. Meanwhile, Iran, India, and South Africa occupy semi-peripheral positions: linked to the global core yet contributing a limited portion of scholarly output.
Theoretical and Policy Implications
The dominance of the US, China, and a few EU economies directs most outputs toward advanced-economy topics—such as financial markets and industrial productivity—while developmental and distributional issues in emerging economies remain under-represented.
- 2.
Weak South–South Collaboration:
Limited horizontal cooperation among developing nations (e.g., Iran, India, South Africa, and the UAE) restricts the creation of indigenous knowledge networks, deepening the research divide between North and South.
- 3.
Technological Divide and Knowledge Accumulation Risk:
Large international consortia—typically led by the US and China—offer learning benefits but may also reinforce structural inequalities in knowledge production unless balanced by targeted capacity building in peripheral regions.
The current topology of global research on AI in macroeconomics depicts a clear core–periphery structure:
The US and China at the centre, Europe as a bridging intermediary, and developing countries at the outer margin. To reduce this imbalance, strengthening regional collaboration, promoting South–South partnerships, investing in open-data infrastructures, and building academic capacity in emerging economies are essential. Only such coordinated strategies can foster a balanced and inclusive global knowledge system, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of how AI transforms macroeconomic performance, from growth and inflation to labour productivity.
Figure 8 illustrates the co-occurrence map of author keywords related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Macroeconomics, highlighting the intellectual structure and thematic evolution of this interdisciplinary field. The network indicates that the keyword “Artificial Intelligence” functions as the core node, having the highest frequency and link strength with other concepts. Around this nucleus, five distinct colour-coded clusters represent the major research themes connecting AI methodologies with macroeconomic inquiry.
Cluster 1 – AI Core and Economic Decision-Making (Hub Cluster, Red)
This is the largest cluster, consisting of terms such as artificial intelligence, neural networks, data mining, learning systems, macroeconomics, and investments. It forms the conceptual backbone of the field, focusing on how AI algorithms, inference engines, and machine-learning models reshape macroeconomic theory and decision processes. The cluster denotes the fusion between computational intelligence and economic modelling, where predictive systems guide strategic economic decisions.
Cluster 2 – Public Policy, Big Data, and Digital Economy (Blue)
Positioned on the right side of the map, this cluster links macroeconomics, public policy, big data, digitisation, economic development, energy poverty, and electricity. It reflects the emergence of data-driven policymaking and the transformation of macroeconomics into a digital science. The presence of country-specific keywords such as ‘China’ and ‘Netherlands’ indicates empirical, nation-level analyses on how intelligent technologies support economic growth.
Cluster 3 – Statistical and Computational Econometrics (Green)
Containing keywords like ‘algorithms’, ‘probability distributions’, ‘stock markets’, ‘data processing’, and ‘inference engines’, this cluster represents the methodological foundation of AI-based economic analysis. It emphasises analytical algorithm modelling and the use of statistical simulation techniques for macro-financial forecasting, serving as a theoretical bridge with the core cluster (Cluster 1).
Cluster 4 – Energy, Productivity, and Sustainability (Orange)
Located at the lower region of the map, this cluster includes fuel consumption, electricity supply, numerical methods, and efficiency.
It highlights research applying AI to energy management, consumption forecasting, and efficiency optimisation. Given energy’s central role in economic growth, this cluster links technological innovation to environmental and macroeconomic sustainability.
Cluster 5 – Managerial Systems and Networked Entrepreneurship (Purple)
This upper-map cluster contains terms such as ‘decision support systems’, ‘planning’, ‘business models’, and ‘entrepreneurial networks’. It represents the application of AI in organisational decision-making and business network optimisation. Studies here focus on smart management systems and AI-assisted strategic planning in corporate and market contexts.
Synthesis and Policy Implications
The keyword network consolidates five interconnected research streams:
Machine-learning-driven economic decision systems
Data-centric public policy and digital economy frameworks
Algorithmic and statistical foundations of computational econometrics
AI applications in energy efficiency and sustainability
Intelligent management and entrepreneurial systems
This structure illustrates a transition from purely technical research to interdisciplinary integration, where AI serves not only as a computational tool but also as a strategic instrument for macroeconomic analysis and policy design. From a policy perspective, sustaining this evolution requires investment in open data, cross-domain collaboration, and interdisciplinary education to enhance national capacity for evidence-based economic governance.
Figure 9.
Co Citation Network of Sources (1975–2025) Source: Authors’ analysis based on Scopus data (1975–October 2025) using VOSviewer v1.6.20.
Figure 9.
Co Citation Network of Sources (1975–2025) Source: Authors’ analysis based on Scopus data (1975–October 2025) using VOSviewer v1.6.20.
The co-citation network of sources (Figure 9) visualises the intellectual backbone of global research connecting Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Macroeconomics. Co-citation analysis—first proposed by Small (1973) and later refined by Van Eck and Waltman (2010)—identifies how scholarly journals are intellectually linked through shared references, revealing the implicit structure of academic knowledge. The present network comprises three major clusters, together depicting a three-layered, interdisciplinary knowledge system.
Red Cluster – Theoretical and Methodological Foundation
This central cluster anchors the network around classic journals such as Econometrica, American Economic Review, Journal of the American Statistical Association, and Biometrika. Complementary bridges appear through management science and expert systems with applications, linking traditional econometric thought with computational and algorithmic methods. The pattern demonstrates that the conceptual base of AI-macroeconomics research still rests on econometrics, classical statistics, and mathematical modelling, while machine-learning and intelligent-systems outlets are gradually merging into this foundation. This convergence aligns with the Kai & Zhou (2015) framework, emphasising that data-driven macroeconomics integrates analytical rigour and computational intelligence.
Green Cluster – Policy and Energy Applications
Located at the network’s periphery, this cluster is led by journals such as Energy Policy and, to a lesser extent, Finance Research Letters. It focuses on energy, sustainability, and financial-policy modelling, showcasing AI as a decision-support tool for governments and firms. Connections with the red theoretical core via Management Science and the Quarterly Journal of Economics indicate a two-way knowledge flow between economic theory and applied policy. Within this framework, Energy Policy has emerged as a key outlet for AI-based predictive analytics addressing energy demand, efficiency, and sustainable development.
Blue Cluster – Managerial and Service Applications
This cluster centres around management science and is characterisedby decision-making, forecasting, and business optimisation themes. Although Tourism Management is not explicitly visible in the dataset, its thematic orientation aligns with this group, which connects Expert Systems with Applications to managerial and organisational AI implementations. The blue cluster thus represents the applied, enterprise-oriented dimension of the field—modelling intelligent decision systems, operational planning, and market service innovation. Its links to Econometrica and JASA underscore that even AI-driven management research remains grounded in strong statistical and economic logic (Gretzel et al., 2015).
The co-citation network confirms a three-tiered architecture of the AI-macroeconomics domain:
| Layer / Cluster |
Core Focus |
Representative Journals |
| Theoretical & Methodological (Red) |
Econometrics and statistical modelling foundations |
Econometrica, AER, JASA, Biometrika |
| Policy & Energy (Green) |
Data-driven sustainability and energy-policy research |
Energy Policy, Finance Research Letters |
Managerial & Service (Blue) |
Intelligent systems and managerial decision applications |
Management Science, Expert Systems with Applications |
Together, these layers depict the evolution of a data-intensive, knowledge-integrated macroeconomic paradigm that merges:
Econometrics + Artificial Intelligence + Policy Analytics
This synthesis reflects what McAfee and Brynjolfsson (2017) described as the emerging “data-driven economy”, where empirical rigour and machine learning jointly shape future macroeconomic research and policy design.