Does AI increase productivity? Or reduce it?

Workers using AI services are less productive than those who don’t, according to a study by Intel. The AI chipmaker followed 6,000 employees in Germany, France, and the UK and found that AI PC-owners were “spending longer on digital chores than those using a traditional PC”. This contradicts 2023 research by McKinsey predicting productivity growth of 0.1 to 0.6 per cent by 2040 from AI use, but it echoes a July survey of freelancers by Upwork that found 80 per cent of workers using generative AI said it added to their workload. Intel’s conclusion? Educate employees. But the problem isn’t the users, says AI consultant Dr David Gerouville-Farrell. “AI is built by coders and they’re getting 30 per cent productivity gains,” he said. “For everyone else it’s a pretty good graduate trainee. I use it all the time, but I don’t trust it. My job now includes fact-checking. Each AI needs to be designed specifically for each job, and even then it will make mistakes.”