Every forecaster knows the question that follows a published outlook: what if oil jumps, or rates stay high, or a trade route closes? Answering it has usually meant a specialist building the scenario by hand. Oxford Economics now says a chat window can do that job. The firm has launched AskOEAI Model Assistant, which it calls the world’s first AI assistant for macro modelling, letting users build and run macroeconomic scenarios in plain language.
How it works
Think of it like a translator standing between a question and a very large model. A user describes their assumptions. Model Assistant converts them into the right inputs for Oxford Economics’ flagship Global Economic Model, drawing on the firm’s research to help shape the scenario. It then runs the scenario through the model and quantifies the likely effects. Results are benchmarked against the firm’s latest baseline, so every outcome is compared with the same reference point.
The practical upshot is speed. Research, scenario design and modelling now sit in one workflow rather than three separate steps. Neil Walker, Head of Macro Modelling at Oxford Economics, said organisations need to explore how economic shocks could affect their decisions when uncertainty is high, and that the tool helps clients move “more quickly from ‘what if’ to a rigorous, quantified, assessment of the impact.”
Part of a wider AI push
The assistant was built by the firm’s own modelling and AI experts. It follows AskOEAI Business Foresight and Executive Lens, and sits alongside Model Context Protocol integrations that connect Oxford Economics’ research and data to the AI tools clients already use. Chief executive Innes McFee said the investment is about helping clients “unlock more value from our economic expertise,” whether they are building a business forecast, exploring a scenario or using the firm’s intelligence inside their own AI tools.
Oxford Economics describes itself as the world’s foremost independent economic advisory firm, covering more than 200 countries, 100 industrial sectors and 8,000 cities and regions. Pricing and availability terms for Model Assistant were not part of the announcement.
Sources
- Oxford Economics launches AskOE AI Model Assistant, the world’s first AI assistant for macro modelling
- Ui.Vision AI
