Game Changer - the game theory podcast

In this episode, we explore what it really means to make a "good" prediction. Starting with something as ordinary as a weather forecast, we discuss why forecasting poses deep economic and game theoretic questions. Together with our guest Rakesh Vohra, we unpack the concept of calibration, examine how forecasts can be evaluated, and revisit the surprising insight that even someone without meteorological expertise can produce calibrated weather predictions. Rakesh Vohra is the George A. Weiss and Lydia Bravo Weiss University Professor of Economics at University of Pennsylvania. You can find his paper co-authored with Dean Foster on calibration here.

In this episode, we explore how game theory and network effects intersect to inform optimal incentive structures in organizations. Pau Milán walks us through his recent research, co-authored with Nicolás Oviedo-Davila and Marc Claveria, which uses a novel game-theoretic model to show how the productivity of one employee can amplify the output of others in their network—and how firms can leverage this to design smarter compensation schemes. Drawing on real-world examples and his theoretical work, Pau offers practical insights for employers and economists alike. Pau Milán is an Associate Professor of Economics at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and an Affiliated Professor at the Barcelona School of Economics (BSE). His research interests include Social and Economic Networks, Information Economics, Development Economics, Organisations, and Applied Game Theory. You can find the working paper "Incentive Contracts and Peer Effects in the Workplace" here.

In this episode we explore the economic and strategic foundations of networks – from personal connections in the labor market to complex webs of international trade and conflict together with our guest Matthew Jackson. He unpacks how networks shape opportunities, inequalities, and global dynamics, and how game theory helps us understand the power and fragility of these structures. Along the way, we discuss surprising applications, including the role of tariffs in supply chains and how network insights can explain patterns of cooperation and rivalry. Matthew Jackson is the William D. Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University. His research interests include game theory, microeconomic theory, and the study of social and economic networks.

In this episode, we dive into the world of experimental research on unstructured bargaining, exploring how real-world negotiations unfold when stripped of rigid rules and scripts. Our guest Emin explains how opening offers shape the conversation, the unspoken dance of reputation, and the ticking clock of deadlines – showing that even in seemingly messy contexts, strategic patterns emerge. Emin Karagözoğlu is Associate Professor of Economics at Bilkent University. His work spans behavioural and experimental economics, game theory, and neuroeconomics, with a strong research focus on bargaining, fairness, morality, and dynamic negotiation processes.

In this episode we dive deep into the economics of digital markets with Dirk Bergemann. We discuss how search platforms like Google created entirely new marketplaces around user attention and private information, what makes digital markets so unique, and how auction design evolved to match the scale and complexity of internet advertising. Dirk also shares insights from his own research on how platforms collect and use user information and gives an economist's perspective on how emerging technologies - like large language models - might reshape the future of search and advertising. Dirk Bergemann is Douglass and Marion Campbell Professor of Economics at Yale University and an expert in game theory, contract theory, and market design. Among others, his research is focused on economics of digital markets - especially those shaped by search engines and advertising auctions.

In this episode we are talking to Vitali Gretschko about how generative AI can be used to simulate strategic behaviour in auctions. We explore where AI tools can support auction design, where they fall short, and how practitioners should interpret simulation results. Vitali also explains why AI is best seen as a co-intelligence that needs expert guidance. Vitali Gretschko is Professor for sustainable Market Design at the University of Münster. His research focuses on auction theory, market design, and applying game theory to practical strategic problems.

In this episode we are talking to Timo Vogelsang about why incentives aimed at reducing absenteeism can sometimes have the opposite effect. Based on a Field Experiment in a German supermarket chain, he explains why offering bonuses for attendance backfired. We also explore how incentives can unintentionally shape beliefs and undermine motivation. Timo Vogelsang is Associate Professor of Managerial Accounting at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. His research focuses on behavioural economics and public policy, with a particular interest in how incentives shape motivation and behaviour in real-world settings. You can find the paper Timo talks about in the episode here.

In this episode we explore how historical kinship structures, shaped in part by decisions of the Catholic Church, may have fundamentally changed the way humans are able to cooperate on a large scale. Using game theoretic concepts like reciprocity and network structure, we uncover how bans on cousin marriages and even modern Facebook data can help explain patterns of trust and cooperation today. Jonathan Schulz is Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at George Mason University and Co-Principal Investigator of the interdisciplinary Historical Psychology Project. His research focuses on the historical and psychological roots of economic development, with a particular interest in how social networks and kinship structures influence cooperation.