NBER survey finds AI no productivity impact

The author argues that corporate AI adoption has largely replaced human thinking with automated loops of text generation and summarization, creating an illusion of high productivity without actual business revenue gains. Employees are reduced to moving text between AI models without reading the content, resulting in bloated communications and superficial metrics. The author suggests that writing authentic, unassisted human messages is the only remaining subversive and meaningful act in this automated economy. Open article →