An international study has analyzed the impact of AI at the firm level, revealing more positive results than expected. Across nearly 6,000 executives surveyed in four countries, AI has generated modest increases in productivity and changes in employment over the past three years.

Widespread adoption and future expectations

Around 69% of firms are already using some form of AI, with LLM-based text generation leading the way (41%), followed by data processing via machine learning (28%) and visual content creation (29%). Executives expect stronger effects to take place over the next three years, with an average increase of 1.4% in productivity and 0.8% in output. In the United States, a 2.25% increase in productivity is expected.

Impact on employment and new professional roles

Executives expect a modest reduction in headcount (0.7%) over the next three years. However, much of this reduction is expected to come through slower hiring rather than outright redundancies. This suggests a gradual reallocation of roles. Furthermore, the creation of new roles related to data governance, model oversight, prompt engineering, and the development of AI-based services could offset the losses.

Divergences of opinion between executives and employees

The study highlights a difference between the expectations of executives and those of employees. Employees expect a 0.5% increase in employment, while executives expect a 1.2% reduction. This divergence reflects different viewpoints: executives consider cost structures and competitive pressure, while employees experience increased capabilities at the task level.

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