Upwork Inc. Establishes Economic Advisory Council Featuring Experts from MIT, Stanford, and Georgetown to Shape AI-Human Workforce Integration

Upwork forms an Economic Advisory Council with top academics to guide AI integration and workforce design in the labor market.

Quiver AI Summary

Upwork Inc. has announced the establishment of the Upwork Economic Advisory Council, which features esteemed academics from MIT, Stanford, and Georgetown, aimed at advising the company on the integration of AI in the workforce. The Council will provide insights regarding labor market shifts, the economic and ethical implications of AI, and support the evolution of Upwork's AI-powered platform. With a significant marketplace presence and extensive data on work trends, Upwork is poised to leverage the Council's expertise in labor economics and organizational behavior to enhance productivity and guide responsible AI innovation. The initiative underscores Upwork's commitment to fostering trust and expanding opportunities in an AI-driven future.

Potential Positives

The formation of the Upwork Economic Advisory Council brings together leading experts from top institutions, enhancing Upwork's credibility and strategic direction in AI-driven workforce design.
This initiative positions Upwork as a thought leader in addressing the economic, social, and ethical implications of AI in the labor market, promoting responsible innovation.
The council's focus on identifying early indicators of labor market shifts and emerging skill trends will help Upwork anticipate changes in the marketplace, potentially leading to a competitive advantage.
By leveraging comprehensive insights from the council, Upwork aims to align its services more closely with the evolving needs of businesses and independent talent, fostering stronger connections in the AI-enabled job market.

Potential Negatives

Announcement of an advisory council could indicate that Upwork feels a need for external expertise to navigate challenges in AI integration, suggesting internal uncertainty or a lack of sufficient resources.
Formation of the Economic Advisory Council may highlight a potential gap in Upwork's existing capabilities regarding AI and labor market dynamics, necessitating additional support from external experts.
The emphasis on guiding ethical and economic principles in AI integration implies that Upwork may be facing scrutiny or challenges related to its current AI applications and their impact on the workforce.

FAQ

What is the Upwork Economic Advisory Council?

The Upwork Economic Advisory Council is a group of leading experts providing strategic guidance on AI-human workforce integration and labor market trends.

Who are the members of this advisory council?

The council includes notable scholars from MIT, Stanford, and Georgetown, specializing in economics, technology, and organizational behavior.

What is the purpose of the council?

The council aims to inform Upwork's AI initiatives by advising on productivity measurement, ethical principles, and labor market shifts.

How does Upwork leverage AI in its platform?

Upwork utilizes AI to enhance marketplace efficiency, match talent with opportunities, and support businesses in navigating the changing work landscape.

Where can I learn more about the council's activities?

Further information about the council and its work can be found on the Upwork Research Institute's website.

Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.

$UPWK Insider Trading Activity

$UPWK insiders have traded $UPWK stock on the open market 43 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 43 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $UPWK stock by insiders over the last 6 months:

THOMAS LAYTON has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 500,000 shares for an estimated $8,746,450.
HAYDEN BROWN (President & CEO) has made 0 purchases and 11 sales selling 260,351 shares for an estimated $4,078,569.
ELIZABETH A NELSON has made 0 purchases and 3 sales selling 135,000 shares for an estimated $2,364,091.
ERICA GESSERT (Chief Financial Officer) has made 0 purchases and 4 sales selling 47,025 shares for an estimated $729,772.
DAVE BOTTOMS (GM, Marketplace) has made 0 purchases and 8 sales selling 35,075 shares for an estimated $499,302.
OLIVIER MARIE (Chief Accounting Officer) has made 0 purchases and 13 sales selling 17,467 shares for an estimated $264,748.
LEELA SRINIVASAN has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 9,834 shares for an estimated $149,748.

To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.

$UPWK Hedge Fund Activity

We have seen 149 institutional investors add shares of $UPWK stock to their portfolio, and 146 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.

Here are some of the largest recent moves:

LSV ASSET MANAGEMENT added 4,199,244 shares (+364.5%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $54,800,134
DORSEY ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC removed 3,045,142 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $39,739,103
MORGAN STANLEY added 2,027,818 shares (+190.7%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $26,463,024
CONTOUR ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC removed 1,506,610 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $19,661,260
ALLIANZ ASSET MANAGEMENT GMBH added 1,491,701 shares (+200.0%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $19,466,698
T. ROWE PRICE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC. added 1,357,476 shares (+41.1%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $17,715,061
ANCIENT ART, L.P. removed 1,138,872 shares (-23.1%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $14,862,279

To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.

$UPWK Analyst Ratings

Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $UPWK in the last several months. We have seen 2 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.

Here are some recent analyst ratings:

Citigroup issued a "Outperform" rating on 05/16/2025
Jefferies issued a "Buy" rating on 01/06/2025

To track analyst ratings and price targets for $UPWK, check out Quiver Quantitative's $UPWK forecast page.

Full Release

Council brings together leading academics from MIT, Stanford and Georgetown to advise on AI-human workforce design, identify labor market shifts, and guide Upwork’s AI-powered evolution

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upwork Inc. (Nasdaq: UPWK), the world’s work marketplace, today announced the formation of the Upwork Economic Advisory Council, a group of preeminent economists, scientists, and researchers who will provide strategic guidance to the company as it advances its human and AI-powered platform to better serve customers around the world in getting work done.

As AI reshapes industries and workforces globally, the Upwork Economic Advisory Council will offer critical insight into the economic, social, and ethical implications of AI’s rapid integration into work and the workforce, ensuring Upwork’s innovations in the space are grounded in rigorous, real-world research.

With millions of interactions and transactions taking place each year, Upwork’s platform offers one of the most comprehensive views into how work is evolving. As a self-contained labor marketplace with $4 billion in gross services volume (GSV) in 2024 alone, activity on the platform often serves as an early indicator of broader labor market trends. Upwork’s latest research on how AI is reshaping work is available here .

“Work is being reshaped by AI,” said Hayden Brown, president and CEO of Upwork. “By assembling the best minds at the intersection of economics, technology, and business management, we are advancing our commitment to create opportunity for our customers by building the next frontier of human and AI-powered flexible work. Our dynamic marketplace and cutting-edge technology uniquely position us to be a pioneer, and this Council will only further that work.”

The Economic Advisory Council spans expertise across labor economics, marketplace design, organizational productivity, behavioral science, and technology. Members include:

Dr. Nicholas Bloom, professor of economics at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). Bloom’s research focuses on management practices, productivity measurement, and organizational behavior, with recent studies exploring the future of remote work and AI’s impact on workplace dynamics.
Dr. John Horton, associate professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Horton’s research focuses on information systems, market design, labor economics, organizational dynamics, and the effects of AI on labor markets.
Dr. Kelly Monahan, managing director of the Upwork Research Institute. Monahan studies and writes on emerging technologies, workforce transformation, and the integration of non-traditional talent models like freelancing, with particular emphasis on human-centric approaches to AI adoption and organizational design.
Dr. Sendhil Mullainathan, professor in the Department of Economics and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. Mullainathan’s research applies machine learning to complex problems in human behavior, social policy, and medicine.
Dr. Dewey Murdick, executive director of Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). Murdick specializes in technology foresight, AI policy, and data science, with a focus on how emerging technologies reshape labor markets and societal structures.
Dr. Andrew Rabinovich, VP of artificial intelligence and machine learning at Upwork. Rabinovich leads Upwork’s AI transformation strategy, drawing on over two decades of expertise in machine learning and computer vision. Rabinovich’s research primarily focuses on computer vision, multimodal learning, and structured deep learning architectures.
Dr. Melissa Valentine, associate professor of management science and engineering at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI. Valentine’s research examines how AI and algorithmic systems transform collaboration, organizational design, and workforce structures.

The council’s mandate is to:

Advise on frameworks to measure productivity, performance, and economic value in AI-enabled work.
Guide the integration of ethical and economic principles into AI-driven marketplace evolution.
Identify early indicators of labor market shifts driven by AI adoption.
Provide strategic insight into emerging skills and talent supply trends.
Collaborate on research and thought leadership.

“Academic research in artificial intelligence has exploded, quadrupling since 2015, yet work at the intersection of AI and labor markets remains limited,” said Dr. Kelly Monahan, managing director of the Upwork Research Institute. “Our Economic Advisory Council aims to close that gap, translating cutting-edge research into practical applications that protect human agency, ensure marketplace trust, and expand opportunity in an AI-enabled future.”

Upwork’s new council underscores the company’s broader commitment to human-centered, responsible AI innovation. To learn more about the council’s work and members, visit the Upwork Research Institute: https://www.upwork.com/research .

About Upwork

Upwork is the world’s largest work marketplace that connects businesses with highly skilled, AI-enabled independent talent from across the globe. From entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 enterprises, companies rely on Upwork’s trusted platform and its mindful AI companion, Uma, to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With on-demand access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI & machine learning, software development, sales & marketing, customer support, finance & accounting, and more, Upwork enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and build agile teams for the age of AI and beyond.

Upwork’s platform has facilitated more than $25 billion in economic opportunity for talent around the world. Learn more at upwork.com and follow us on LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , and X .

Contact:
Christine Lee
[email protected]