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6 Ways to Use AI Growth in A-Level Economics Exams

Geoff Riley

8th May 2025

Struggling to stand out in economics exams? AI might be your secret weapon — not just for revision, but as real-world application. The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is transforming labour markets, firm behaviour, and even how governments respond to market failure. Here are six short points.

1. Impact on Labour Markets

AI may replace routine jobs (e.g. admin, call centres), creating structural unemployment — great for labour market essays.

2. Creative Destruction & Dynamic Efficiency

AI drives innovation and productivity, disrupting industries — perfect for efficiency, innovation, and market structures topics.

3. Income & Regional Inequality

High-skilled workers benefit more from AI — widening income inequality and creating geographic disparities in growth.

4. Barriers to Entry & Market Power

Big tech firms such as Microsoft and Google dominate AI due to R&D scale and data access, increasing barriers to entry and potentially monopoly power.

5. Market Failure – Externalities & Ethics

AI raises concerns around bias, data misuse, job losses, and algorithmic harm — a modern example of market failure needing regulation.

6. Capital Investment & Productivity Growth

AI investment is a form of capital deepening, helping boost labour productivity — useful in growth, AD/AS, and long-run output questions.

Geoff Riley

Geoff Riley FRSA has been teaching Economics for over thirty years. He has over twenty years experience as Head of Economics at leading schools. He writes extensively and is a contributor and presenter on CPD conferences in the UK and overseas.

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