Top economist says companies are close to a ‘Cortés moment’ on AI, referencing the conquistador who burned his boats and then invaded Mexico

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 upon arriving in Mexico in 1519, eliminating any possibility of retreat—to describe the posture he believes corporate America is quietly assuming toward AI adoption.