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CIO.com · September 1, 2026

Why we need technology economists

EconomicsFinance
THE AI ANGLE
Acting as digital labor and creating non-linear economic returns

The emergence of AI breaks traditional IT finance models by introducing non-linear economic returns, labor substitution and augmentation dynamics, and complex lifecycle costs. Consequently, organizations must shift from simple cost-accounting and budgeting toward technology economics to assess how capital allocation drives measurable business value and strategic advantage.

THE TEACHING ANGLE
The tension between traditional IT accounting that tracks spending line items and technology economics that evaluates opportunity costs, marginal returns, and technology as a core production factor.

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