AI, Productivity, and Work: Evidence from US Firms

Authors

Salomé Baslandze, Zachary Edwards, John Graham, Ty McClure, Michael Sparks, Brent Meyer, Sonya Ravindranath Waddell, Daniel Weitz

Posted to EERN: August 18, 2026

FEDERAL RESERVE RESEARCH: Atlanta, Richmond

Real-time evidence from users can inform the current policy debates around artificial intelligence. This column reports on a survey of executives at typical US firms to reveal that AI adoption is already widespread but shallow. Executives report positive productivity effects and expect larger gains, especially in high-skill services and finance, although measured gains lag perceived productivity improvements. The gains appear to come mainly through innovation- and demand-oriented channels rather than through cost cutting. Capital deepening is low, with most AI adopters renting intangible capital from upstream providers, and near-term employment effects are small on net, with larger reductions concentrated among larger firms and a shift away from routine clerical work towards skilled technical roles.

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