Central banks invite papers on AI, ML, NLP in macroeconomics
The Bank of Japan, co-organized with several central banks, invites submissions for the 8th ECONDAT conference in Tokyo. Researchers can submit papers on AI, machine learning, and natural language processing in macroeconomics until June 7, 2026.
Exploring AI's macroeconomic frontier
The 8th Conference on Nontraditional Data, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing in Macroeconomics (ECONDAT 2026 Fall Meeting) will be held on October 5-6, 2026, at the Bank of Japan in Tokyo.
Organized by the Bank of Japan and co-organized with Banca d'Italia, the Federal Reserve Board, Sveriges Riksbank, the Bank of Canada, and CEBRA, the conference aims to promote research in macroeconomics and financial economics.
Key areas include AI and economic analysis, covering generative AI, agentic AI, and trustworthy AI, as well as their macroeconomic implications like the expansion of AI data centers.
Submissions are also encouraged for advanced forecasting and modeling techniques using machine learning and natural language processing for macroeconomic and financial dynamics.
The conference also seeks research on large and granular data, such as trade, payments, mobility, and social media, to assess economic conditions and monitor financial sector developments.
New data sources and methodologies for understanding economic activities and inflation dynamics are also relevant.
Fostering a data science community
The ECONDAT Program, a collaborative effort by multiple central banks including the European Central Bank, Bank of England, and Federal Reserve, aims to build a research community across diverse fields like economics, data science, and computer science.
It organizes regular conferences to foster cutting-edge research and tools relevant for academics, policymakers, and statistical agencies.
Authors are invited to submit papers through the dedicated portal by June 7, 2026.
Full papers are preferred, but extended abstracts (2-4 pages) will be considered in exceptional cases.
These abstracts should detail the research question, methodology, data sources, and expected findings.
Authors of accepted papers will be notified by August 3, 2026, and travel funding may be available for academic presenters.
Timely focus on AI's economic impact
This conference provides a crucial platform for central banks to engage with the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
Its emphasis on practical applications and macroeconomic implications ensures direct relevance for policy formulation.
By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, ECONDAT helps bridge the gap between cutting-edge data science and central banking's core mandates.