Top economists says companies are close to a ‘Cortes moment’ on AI, saying there’s no turning back0

• Economy, Finance
• March 3, 2026

American companies are approaching what one top economist is calling a “Cortés moment” on artificial intelligence—a point of irreversible commitment that could reshape the U.S. labor market in ways not yet visible in the data, but coming fast. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, invoked the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés— who burned his boats