AI guides for academic economists

Where to start

If you're not sure which tool or surface fits your workflow, start with the overview. It is a five-minute tour of where these agents can run (VS Code, terminal, desktop, web, mobile) and which surface suits which task.

• Overview

  Where to run agentic AI

  Six surfaces, one decision — a short tour of VS Code, terminal, desktop apps, web, and mobile, with a cheat sheet for which one to pick for which task.

Hands-on guides

Walk-throughs for getting Claude Code or Codex set up in VS Code for empirical research — installation, recommended extensions, file-format handling, persistent project context, reusable workflows, and managing the context window — and for checking what these tools hand back before it reaches a paper.

• Guide · Anthropic

  Claude Code in VS Code

  Setting up and using Claude Code inside VS Code for R, Stata, Python, and LaTeX work. Covers CLAUDE.md, skills, and the everyday research workflow.

• Guide · OpenAI

  Codex in VS Code

  The same ground for OpenAI's Codex — installation, AGENTS.md, skills, approval modes, and cloud delegation.

• Comparison

  Codex vs Claude Code

  A side-by-side look at how the two agents differ in everyday research use — project instructions, slash commands, permissions, and local-versus-cloud workflows.

• Guide · Verification

  Verifying LLM output

  Practical checks for AI-generated code and analysis — reviewing diffs with a fresh agent, second opinions from a different model, comprehension quizzes, and independent reimplementation in another language.

• Guide · LaTeX

  Linking VS Code and Overleaf

  Sync your LaTeX papers through GitHub or Dropbox so you can edit locally with Claude Code or Codex while coauthors keep working in Overleaf.

Workshop slides

Slides from my workshops on agentic AI for researchers. The repository is updated as the tools change.

• Slides · GitHub

  AI Workshop Slides

  Slide decks used in talks and workshops on integrating Claude Code, Codex, and related tools into an empirical research workflow.

Related

The resources page collects writing from other economists on AI-assisted research, plus the broader hidden curriculum on writing, presenting, and coding. I also write about AI, coding, research, and housing on Substack.