Is AI at work actually helping? Major survey claims many firms see no obvious benefit despite billions in investment | Daily Reports Online
- More than two in three firms now use AI
- 89% haven’t seen higher productivity, and 60% expect no further impact
- Still, 90% haven’t seen any major job losses and 63% expect this to remain the same
A major study surveying around 6,000 CEOs, CFOs and other senior leaders across the US, UK, Germany and Australia has quantified just how many companies are actually using AI – and claims many firms are still not seeing the benefits previously promised.
Per the data from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), more than two-thirds (69%) of firms currently use AI tools, with some further growth anticipated within the next three years.
However, 89% reported no impact on productivity over the last three years. Still, with just as many (90%) noting no impact on employment over the same three-year period, it’s clear that companies are willing to keep trying.
Are we actually using AI to its fullest potential?
The most common use cases highlighted in the report include text generation (41%), data processing (30%), visual content creation (30%) and image processing (20%). But while it’s not quite as commonly used in robotics (9%) and autonomous vehicles (3%) where implementation is likely more complex, total usage did increase by around 50% during 2025.
Still, the outlook isn’t hugely positive. While 25% small productivity gains and 12% expect large gains, 60% expect to see no impact at all. The story is largely the same in terms of employment, with 63% expecting no impact, and only a combined 26% expecting to see job reductions, which does at least bring some good news.
“Over the next three years, firms predict that the adoption of AI will boost productivity by around 1.4%, on average, while reducing employment by around 0.7%,” the researchers wrote.
Though the authors acknowledge the study in isolation doesn’t provide enough meaningful insight, they call for further studies to be conducted using standardized methodology in order to ensure more reliable comparisons: “We furthermore emphasize the importance of consistency in survey design and timing.”
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