The article is devoted to the study of creativity as a complex interdisciplinary phenomenon. The authors raise important theoretical and methodological questions: what is creativity within the boundaries of the economy and what are its features? It is noted that creativity can be closely related to rational behavior in the decision-making process, but it also has an irrational aspect. It is emphasized that at the stage of the digital economy, creativity acts as a reaction to the uncertainty of the external environment, which is increasing under the influence of artificial intelligence technologies. In conclusion, the authors point to the possibilities of including creativity in the human model as its methodological prerequisite. The research prospects emphasize the relevance of creativity as a driver for the development of human capital and the formation of a creative man model.

The article is devoted to identifying the specifics of modern consumer behavior under the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The factors that shape consumer experience in the era of digital economy are analyzed. The article highlights the opportunities and risks that AI creates for making economic decisions, by taking into account bounded rationality, behavioral mechanisms of individuals and the influence of the external environment. By applying a systemic method, the diversity of AI technologies and the features of their impact on the consumer behavior are revealed. As an example, the article reveals the phenomenon of virtual influencers (VI) – these are digital characters created with the help of AI who actively interact with the audience through social media channels. In conclusion, authors note that AI is not just a marketing tool for companies, but an active participant in economic interaction and its ambiguity requires appropriate institutional regulation.

This article examines the impact of local shocks in individual sectors on macroeconomic performance using modern input-output models and available Russian data. Based on the dynamic network model the study identifies key sectors in the Russian economy that play a central role in transmitting long-term shocks. These include raw materials and energy industries, wholesale and retail trade, and transportation services. The significance of these sectors is further confirmed through an eigenvector centrality analysis within the production network. The findings offer practical implications for economic policy aimed at enhancing the resilience of critical sectors, improving supply chain stability, and monitoring price dynamics in strategically important industries. Such measures may serve as preventive tools for mitigating systemic risks and strengthening the economy's capacity to absorb shocks.

In this article, we systematize the papers devoted to the development of general equilibrium models in the context of optimal taxation and pension systems. In the first part of the article, we will discuss the key principles of optimal taxation and the results obtained on the basis of general equilibrium models. We then look at the design of different pension systems, the problems associated with the transition between systems, and the role of the pension system in the context of absent or imperfect financial markets. As part of the review, it was shown that, firstly, the size of the elasticity of labor supply can significantly affect not only the size of the optimal income tax, but also the type of taxation scale itself. Second, the key driver of a positive tax on capital is the increasing elasticity of labor supply with age. Third, if risk-averse individuals exist under conditions of uncertainty, which can take the form of systematic and idiosyncratic risks, the welfare system can provide benefits to individuals by partly replacing the missing insurance markets. Finally, if the economy is dynamically inefficient, a pay-as-you-go pension system can deal with the problem of overaccumulation.

The relevance of the study is determined by the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI) technologies, which today are becoming an important factor in the transformation of the global economy. The aim of the article is to determine the prospects for the development of cross-border business in the field of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI business). The study used methods of conceptual analysis, foresight and strategic OTSW analysis. The potential of gen-AI as a tool for business commercialization and a source of systematic income is revealed. The author's typology of businesses based on the use of gen-AI is proposed. Problems and areas of development of cross-border gen-AI business are identified, and the potential for niche development for Russian companies under sanctions is substantiated. It is concluded that in the interests of developing crossborder gen-AI business, corporations should more actively invest in research and development, adapt to changes in the market environment, while it is important for national governments to support innovative companies by creating a favorable and economically safe regulatory environment and developing digital infrastructure.

The concepts of technological sovereignty and import substitution are important areas for the development of the national economy in the face of external challenges. The relevance of the topic is due to the need to develop an approach to import substitution in the field of ICT, aimed at ensuring the technological sovereignty of the Russian economy in the face of external challenges. The purpose of the study is to identify the problems of import substitution in the field of ICT in Russia in the context of achieving technological sovereignty. It is revealed that the main problems on the way to import substitution are high import dependence and lack of full-fledged analogues of foreign products and services, lack of personnel and financial resources for the transition to domestic products, low innovative activity of enterprises.

The launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 led to major controversies about the governance of generative artificial intelligence (AI). This article examines the first international governance and policy initiatives dedicated specifically to generative AI: the G7 Hiroshima process, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development reports, and the UK AI Safety Summit. This analysis is informed by policy framing and governance literature, in particular by the work on technology governance and Responsible Innovation. Emerging governance of generative AI exhibits characteristics of polycentric governance, where multiple and overlapping centers of decision-making are in collaborative relationships. However, it is dominated by a limited number of developed countries. The governance of generative AI is mostly framed in terms of the risk management, largely neglecting issues of purpose and direction of innovation, and assigning rather limited roles to the public. We can see a "paradox of generative AI governance” emerging, namely, that while this technology is being widely used by the public, its governance is rather narrow. This article coins the term "governance fix” to capture this rather narrow and technocratic approach to governing generative AI. As an alternative, it suggests embracing the politics of polycentric governance and Responsible Innovation that highlight democratic and participatory coshaping of technology for social benefit. In the context of the highly unequal distribution of power in generative AI characterized by a high concentration of power in a small number of large tech companies, the government has a special role in reshaping the power imbalances by enabling wide-ranging public participation in the governance of generative AI.

   Although competitive processes in a multi-sided market can have a positive effect on public welfare, ensuring a supply diversity, there is a risk of market power abuse and a continued threat of the emergence of new forms of competition restriction. This review article examines the theoretical provisions of analyzing the state of competition in the market subject to negative and cross network effects. A method is proposed to explain the process stability of slowing down the influence of network effects on consumer utility by the predominance of the saturation effect over the utility effect.
   The most effective measures to support competition include regulation of the standard-setting process, access provision to essential facilities (for example, hardware or software), and implication of patent law and licensing to protect the rights of the product developer in regard to the system owner. Limiting the negative network externality impact on the consumer side becomes a core function of the regulator. The need to distinguish between crossand indirect network effects remains under question.

The study aims to overcome the limitations of traditional capital market pricing concepts– namely, the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) and behavioral economics–by integrating sociocultural factors into the analysis of informational efficiency. The relevance of this research stems from the insufficient attention paid to the role of cultural characteristics in shaping investor behavior and the institutional environment. The objective of the study is to identify the relationship between cultural dimensions (power distance and individualism, as defined by Hofstede) and the informational efficiency of capital markets. The methodology includes logit and probit regressions, models with nonlinear effects and slope dummy variables, Firth regression for rare events, bootstrap analysis (10,000 iterations), and an instrumental variable model using data from 50 countries. A binary indicator of market efficiency is used as the dependent variable, along with control variables such as GDP per capita, Government Effectiveness index, and level of financial development. The results demonstrate: 1) a consistent positive relationship between individualism and market efficiency; 2) A paradoxical positive relationship between power distance and efficiency, likely linked to the Asian context; 3) the significance of one control variable – financial development level; 4) the dependence on a country’s classification as developed or developing: In developed economies, financial market development drives efficiency; In developing economies, power distance and individualism are key determinants. The scientific novelty lies in demonstrating the multidimensional interaction of cultural, institutional, and economic factors, thereby extending the boundaries of traditional models.

The availability of long-term financing is critically important for investment development, particularly in conditions of high volatility and systematic risk. The Kaplan-Zingales Index (KZ Index) is widely used to assess corporate financial constraints, especially concerning long-term projects, including investments in research and development (R&D). However, its dynamics in the Russian economy remain insufficiently studied. The objective of this study is to evaluate the dynamics of financial constraints faced by Russian publicly traded companies in the context of their ability to finance long-term investments. The empirical analysis is based on financial reporting data and publicly available market indicators for the period 2009–2024. The prolonged decline in the median KZ Index for publicly listed non-financial companies indicates a significant easing of financial barriers for large businesses between 2009 and 2022. However, in 2022–2024, financial capacity stagnated, particularly in the oil and gas sector, which holds the largest weight in the Russian stock market. Additionally, sectoral differences in the dynamics of financial constraints were identified: specific trends were observed in the oil and gas and metallurgical industries, highlighting the need for further analysis.

The article examines the diversity of employment forms within the sharing economy and determines the place of these socio-economic and socio-labor relations in the sphere of non-standard employment forms. It has been established that labor in sharing is a segment at the junction of platform employment and the gig economy. The definition of sharing digital platforms, which are one of the key features of classifying new labor models as the sharing segment, has been formulated. A content analysis of domestic and foreign scientific works on the topic of labor sharing has been conducted and it has been determined that this term is used to describe temporary models of labor attraction and methods of dividing labor or work within one workplace or position. The research methodology is based on a content analysis of the best practices of using labor sharing by business, inductive analysis to systematize views on labor in sharing and identify its features.

The relevance of the article is dictated by the presence of a significant proportion of Russia's territory without connection to the unified energy system and, as a result, the existence of high tariffs for the generation and purchase of electricity. Electricity generation in such territories, carried out at autonomous thermal power plants, is characterized by high cost of raw materials, environmental pollution, and the inability to store excess generated electricity. The purpose of this article is to evaluate economic and ecological effects of Electric Energy Storage (EES) at autonomous thermal power plants to solve these problems. The first part of the article reveals the basics of tariff policy for the generation and consumption of electricity in territories not connected to the unified energy system, as well as the prospects for the use of Electric Energy Storage. The second part of the article provides estimates of economic and ecological effects of EES at autonomous thermal power plants in a typical village in the Sakhalin region.

An overview of the speeches at the plenary session of the International Scientific Conference "The World at a Turning Point: Geopolitics, Economics, Technogenesis" which was held in a mixed format at the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University on December 4-6, 2024 is presented. The conference was organized by the Research Laboratory of the Philosophy of Economy together with the Scientific Council "Center for Social Sciences" of Moscow State University. At the session, prominent experts from various humanitarian fields made presentations, who presented different points of view on the current processes of our time, occurring with man and the world in the context of the urgent transformation of the world order under the influence of the rapid development of scientific and technological progress.