Karthik Tadepalli

Hi! I’m Karthik. I am an economist interested in making AI go well. I work as a Research Scholar at GovAI, where I focus on managing risks from recursive self-improvement in AI systems. Before that, I got a PhD in Economics at UC Berkeley in 2026, and grew up in Bangalore, India.

I write a Substack about economics and AI, and another Substack about fiction and art.

If you think we have something in common, reach out or pick a time!

Movies

I watch a lot of movies – I’m slightly behind track to watch 100 movies in 2026. Some of my recent favorites are:

Possible Love (Lee Chang-dong, 2026). The best movie of 2026.
A Brighter Summer Day (Edward Yang, 1991).
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (Jane Schoenbrun, 2026).

You can see more takes at my Letterboxd.

Books

I’m currently working through Alice Munro: Writing Her Lives, a biography of Alice Munro by Robert Thackeray. It’s alright. In between, I’ve read Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion (alright) and The Progress of Love by Alice Munro (spectacular).

My favorite books I read in 2026 are The Progress of Love (Alice Munro), The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (Michael Chabon), and The City and the City (China Mieville).

Tea

I love tea, especially white tea and oolong tea. My recent favorites are the Yunnan white and Yunnan yellow, from Yushu Tea Gallery in London. I left my supply of Song Tea’s wild tree Yunnan white back in Berkeley and I’m missing that too.

East Bay

I have lived in Berkeley for five years now. If you are lucky enough to find yourself in the East Bay, here are some places I recommend:

Teance Fine Teas, my favorite teahouse.
Casa de Chocolates, a chocolate store with an amazing Mexican hot chocolate.
Redfield Cider Bar, the best cider bar on the West Coast.
Clio’s Books, a bookstore-bar with so much swagger that they arrange their books by historical era.
Stonewall-Panoramic Trail, a short but intense hiking trail that can go deep into the woods if you want, or end at a lovely vista.

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