A new international working paper finds that artificial intelligence (AI) adoption is now widespread across major advanced economies — but its measurable impact on productivity and employment remains limited so far.
The study, titled “Firm Data on AI,” surveys nearly 6,000 CFOs, CEOs, and senior executives across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. The research, led by Ivan Yotzov, Jose Maria Barrero, Nicholas Bloom, Steven J. Davis, and others, presents what the authors describe as the first representative international data on firm-level AI use.
The headline finding: about 70% of firms are actively using some form of AI. Adoption is particularly strong among younger, more productive companies. Larger and higher-paying firms are also more likely to report AI use, while older firms lag behind.
Text generation using large language models is the most commonly cited application, followed by data processing and visual content creation. In the United States, 78% of firms report using AI. The UK follows at 71%, Germany at 65%, and Australia at 59%. In the UK alone, adoption jumped from 61% in early 2025 to 71% by early 2026, highlighting how rapidly usage is expanding.
Yet despite widespread adoption, executives report limited measurable economic effects to date. Over 80% of firms say AI has had no impact on employment or productivity over the past three years. The findings suggest that while AI tools are being deployed, they have not yet translated into large-scale operational transformations.
Expectations for the future are far more ambitious. Firms predict that over the next three years AI will increase productivity by 1.4% and boost output by 0.8%, while reducing employment by 0.7%. These projections suggest companies anticipate efficiency gains that could modestly shrink payrolls.
However, the study also identifies a notable perception gap between leadership and workers. In a parallel survey of employees, respondents forecast a 0.5% increase in employment over the next three years as a result of AI. That contrast implies a significant divergence in expectations: executives foresee net job reductions, while employees expect net job creation.
Even among top executives, direct engagement with AI remains relatively light. While more than two-thirds report using AI tools in a typical week, their average usage is just 1.5 hours per week, and roughly one quarter report no personal AI use at all.
Taken together, the findings portray an economy in transition. AI is already mainstream within firms, but its transformative productivity effects — and its impact on jobs — remain largely prospective rather than realized.
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