Over 80% of companies report no productivity gains from AI so far despite billions in investment, survey suggests — 6,000 executives also reveal 1/3 of leaders use AI, but only for 90 minutes a week
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Image credit: Getty Images
Survey Overview
AI is the buzzword of the era, and, much like the enthusiasm of the early dot‑com years, billions of dollars are being invested in tools for workers aimed at improving productivity and cutting employment costs. A new survey of over 6,000 executives from firms across Europe and the United States shows that the majority believe AI has had little impact on their business operations so far.
The survey, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (h/t Fortune), reveals a stark disparity between expectation and reality. While 70 % of the businesses questioned were actively using AI, over 80 % report no impact on company productivity or employment.
Despite this, most respondents expect AI to boost productivity by 1.4 %, reduce headcount by 0.7 %, and increase output by 0.8 % over the next three years. Among the executives themselves, a third reported using AI in the workplace, but the usage amounted to only 1.5 hours per week on average. A quarter of those surveyed didn’t use AI at all – at least, not yet.
Historical Context: The Productivity Paradox
The contrast between AI adoption and its impact echoes challenges from past technological shifts. The Solow productivity paradox—named after economist Robert Solow—observed that the extra administrative burden created by early computers actually slowed productivity among workers in the 1970s and 1980s. Productivity growth was steady at 2.9 % between 1948 and 1973, dropped to 1.1 % thereafter, and did not recover until the late 1990s and early 2000s.
A recent AI survey similarly found that AI usage could increase employee burnout, even as it promises productivity gains.
Implications
The contradiction—and optimism—among executives shows that AI in the workplace is firmly entrenched, but only time will tell whether it will deliver the positive impact that businesses and the broader economy hope for.
