How Artificial Intelligence May Make A Dent In The Technology Productivity Crisis

So far, the impact of information technology on overall productivity has been a mixed bag, and even disappointing. IT has been reshaping workplaces in a big way since the 1980s, yet, there appears to be little to show for all this progress -- many argue that technology may even inhibit productivity growth. There are many reasons why the proliferation of technology doesn't automatically translate to productivity growth. For one, "technological disruption is, well, disruptive," Harvard's Jeffrey Frankel observed in a recent World Economic Forum report. "It demands that people learn new skills, adapt to new systems, and change their behavior. While a new iteration of computer software or hardware may offer more capacity, efficiency, or performance, those advantages are at least partly offset by the time users have to spend learning to use it. And glitches often bedevil the transition."