Despite billions of dollars being invested in artificial intelligence and promises of a major shift in the workplace, the results so far are below expectations.
A recent survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) asked more than 6,000 executives in the United States and Europe about the impact of AI in their companies. The results show that more than 80% of businesses have not seen any productivity gains from AI so far.
AI Adoption Is Growing but Impact Remains Limited
The survey found that about 70% of companies already use AI tools in some way. However, their impact on daily operations is still very small.
This gap becomes clearer when looking at how company leaders use the technology themselves. Only about one third of executives say they use AI in their work, and those who do spend around 90 minutes per week using it. Even more surprising, about a quarter of executives said they do not use AI at all.
This situation is similar to the “Solow productivity paradox” from the 1970s and 1980s. At that time, the introduction of personal computers did not immediately improve productivity because workers needed time to adapt and learn how to use the new tools.
Even with the slow results so far, many executives remain optimistic about the future of AI. They believe that within the next three years, AI could increase production by around 0.8% and productivity by about 1.4%.
This strong belief in the technology helps explain why AI companies received 61% of global venture capital investment in 2025.
For now, AI remains a key topic for many large companies. However, the path toward real efficiency and strong returns on investment may take longer than many expected. At the moment, AI appears to be in an adaptation phase, where the potential is high but the real benefits are still developing.
