AI Policy and the Future of Small Business with SBA Chief Counsel Casey Bryant Mulligan

In this episode of the Shift AI Podcast, Casey Mulligan—former Chief Economist of the White House Council of Economic Advisers and current Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration—joins Boaz Ashkenazy for a timely conversation on how AI is reshaping small businesses, regulation, and the broader labor market.Casey shares his path from University of Chicago professor to serving in two presidential administrations, where he introduced automated reasoning tools into economic policy work well before the rise of large language models. He explains how his office now uses AI to review thousands of federal regulations and ensure small business voices are represented in Washington.The discussion explores accelerating AI adoption among small firms, the recent surge in new business formation, and why smaller companies may benefit more from AI than large incumbents. Casey also addresses concerns about job displacement, drawing lessons from past waves of automation and outlining why he believes the long-term impact will be increased productivity and opportunity.The episode closes with a forward-looking perspective on education, entrepreneurship, and why the “human touch” will remain a critical advantage in the future of work.Chapters[00:00] From University of Chicago to the White House[03:05] Advocating for Small Businesses in Washington[07:29] AI and the Labor Market: Lessons from Economic History[12:14] The Startup Surge and Small Business Formation[13:48] Using AI Inside the Federal Government[17:20] Vibe Coding, APIs, and Custom Productivity Tools[18:07] Automated Reasoning and Microsoft’s Z3[21:23] AI in Education and Learning[24:31] Two Words for the Future of Work: Human TouchConnect with Casey Bryant MulliganLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bryant-mulligan/Connect with Boaz AshkenazyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boazashkenazy/Email: [email protected]