Productivity
Source reports covering Productivity. Stories will appear when analysis and community reactions are ready.
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Source reports
AI delivers ‘zero financial payoff’ to most companies, Apollo economist says
news
1 min read
Apollo Global Management chief economist Torsten Slok said artificial intelligence has delivered “zero financial payoff” to large U.S. companies outside the technology sector. In a recent note, Slok examined the “S&P 493,” defined as the S&P 500 excluding Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. He found that profit margins and revenue per worker appear flat, with no evidence that AI is improving productivity across those companies. Slok said massive AI investment and widespread adoption have not translated into higher revenue growth or profit margins for corporate America beyond major technology firms. He questioned whether non-tech companies can convert increasingly inexpensive AI capabilities into financial gains, arguing that business performance depends heavily on judgment rather than intelligence alone. Slok said AI does not understand accountability, trust, organizational culture, unwritten rules, ethical trade-offs, or fairness. He argued that those factors shape reputational risk and ultimately affect revenue growth and profit margins. Recent studies have also found that AI has not yet produced significant productivity gains.
Typing Speed Test, but for Developers
tool
1 min read
A terminal typing speed test measures words per minute (WPM) and accuracy over a 60-second period. Users can track their performance based on the number of commands executed and mistakes made.
Why thinking out loud with someone beats thinking alone
opinion
8 min read
Engaging in dialogue with others can lead to enhanced problem-solving and productivity. Collaborative conversations often yield better results than solitary thinking, even when participants do not have direct answers.
'Sloppenheimer:' Amazon employees mock the company's AI on Slack
news
1 min read
Amazon employees are mocking the company's AI tools on Slack, referring to the output as "slop." Despite Jeff Bezos' belief in AI's potential to drive productivity gains, employees joke about the ineffective motivation to use these tools.
The Rise of the Bullshittery
opinion
14 min read
The modern economy increasingly rewards individuals who project confidence and competence over those who possess genuine knowledge and skills. This shift has led to frustration among professionals committed to honest and careful work in their fields.
When everyone has AI and the company still learns nothing
opinion
12 min read
AI adoption in organizations often leads to individual productivity gains without translating into broader organizational learning. Effective transfer of insights from individuals to teams is necessary for maximizing the benefits of AI investments.
Let's talk about LLMs
opinion
32 min read
There is widespread agreement that large language models (LLMs) are currently influencing productivity and technological capabilities. Opinions vary on whether this represents a significant revolution, a temporary hype cycle, or a potential bubble similar to the dot-com era.
Turn your best AI prompts into one-click tools in Chrome
tool
2 min read
Skills in Chrome allows users to save and reuse AI prompts for various tasks, streamlining the process of accessing AI assistance across different web pages. This feature enhances productivity by enabling one-click execution of previously used prompts.
How the AI Bubble Bursts
opinion
7 min read
The AI market is poised for a potential crash despite the technology's ability to enhance productivity. Major tech companies are significantly increasing capital expenditures to distinguish their technologies, focusing on outspending competitors rather than solely on winning.
Every layer of review makes you 10x slower
opinion
14 min read
Increased layers of review in a team can significantly slow down workflow, with coordination overhead causing a decrease in speed that is not linear with team size. Effective organizational design is crucial to minimize this overhead and maintain efficiency.
The return-to-the-office trend backfires
opinion
5 min read
Stricter return-to-office policies may not lead to increased productivity, as data shows organizations with flexible, remote-first models experience stronger output, healthier engagement, and faster growth. Reports from the Institute for Corporate Productivity support the benefits of flexible work arrangements over mandated office attendance.
What AI coding costs you
opinion
17 min read
AI coding tools significantly enhance developer productivity but come with hidden costs. Developers currently operate between manual coding and fully autonomous AI systems, with the balance shifting towards greater AI integration.
AI doesn’t reduce work, it intensifies it
research
2 min read
AI implementation in workplaces increases the intensity of work rather than reducing it, as employees manage multiple tasks simultaneously, such as writing code and other responsibilities. A study conducted by researchers from Berkeley Haas School of Business observed these effects among 200 employees at a U.S.-based technology company.
Two kinds of AI users are emerging
7 min read
Two distinct categories of AI users are emerging: "power users" who fully embrace new AI technologies and "casual users" who engage with AI less frequently. This divide highlights significant differences in how organizations leverage AI for productivity.
How AI assistance impacts the formation of coding skills
11 min read
AI assistance can increase task completion speed by up to 80%. However, reliance on AI may lead to decreased engagement and effort, potentially hindering the development of coding skills.