AI Will Not "Inevitably" Increase Productivity

Most of us, if asked, would likely say we believe artificial intelligence will have a positive impact on firm and worker productivity, at least potentially. 

After all, most of us would likely agree that spreadsheets, word processors, databases, the internet, cloud computing, open source, social media, search, messaging, e-commerce, notebooks and laptops, personal computers, tablets and smartphones--used in context--can boost firm and worker productivity. 

But most of us might also agree that, when used improperly, those tools can fail to deliver any measurable productivity upside. As with any scenario where energy forms change, or physical processes happen, some friction results. 

"Friction" includes any obstacles that hinder the smooth flow of work; slows things down; reduces efficiency and interferes with productivity.

Consider social media. Studies of the productivity impact are quite mixed, as you might guess, considering the distractions social media can create. 

Study Title	Authors	Year	Finding
How Does Social Media Affect Employee Productivity?	Flash Hub	2023	Indicates a negative impact of social media on productivity due to distraction and procrastination.
Social media and its effects on employee productivity	Verdict	2022	Highlights both positive and negative impacts, with potential benefits from knowledge sharing and communication, but also risks of distraction and reduced focus.
The Impact of Social Media on Work Performance: A Meta-Analysis	C.C. Weisz et al.	2013	Finds a small negative correlation between social media use and work performance, with stronger negative effects for tasks requiring high focus.
Can Social Media Enhance Employee Engagement?	M.E. Cropanzano et al.	2013	Suggests that social media can promote employee engagement when used strategically for internal communication and fostering a sense of community.
The Impact of Social Media on Work Performance: A Meta-Analysis	C. Liu et al.	2018	Finds a negative correlation between social media use and work performance, with stronger effects for tasks requiring high focus.
Can Social Media Enhance Employee Engagement?	A.M. Junco et al.	2011	Suggests social media can be a tool for employee engagement and knowledge sharing, potentially leading to higher productivity.
The Impact of Social Media on Work Performance: A Meta-Analysis	C. Markos & C. Janssen	2019	Finds a small negative correlation between social media use and work performance, with stronger negative effects for tasks requiring high concentration.
Can Social Media Enhance Employee Engagement? Examining the Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing and Social Support	Y. Wang et al.	2020	Suggests social media can contribute to employee engagement through knowledge sharing and social support, potentially leading to higher productivity.

That might be a sort of “worst case” scenario, though. Though YouTube and other video sites also can provide distractions, most are likely to agree that most of the other  technologies have probably had a positive impact on productivity, much of the time. 

But not always. Productivity suites might not deliver when the tasks using them are unnecessary, whose output never gets used or when used for non-work tasks on “work time.”

Cloud computing and computing devices arguably contribute to productivity when intended outcomes are supported; less so when diverted to unclear activities with unknown connections to intended outcomes. 

Collaboration technologies might produce gains when they contribute to outcomes; less so when they do not have a clear or essential relationship to outcomes. 

The point is that any information technology can be misused, and fail to produce outcomes, when not used properly. 

Unnecessary meetings are simply unnecessary and quite often a distraction from producing outcomes, even when using video conferencing technologies to connect people around the globe. 

Virtually all of us believe AI can produce better outcomes, or at least faster, more-complete or less costly outcomes. But not inevitably.