As artificial intelligence captures the public imagination, while also exhibiting missteps and failures, enthusiasts continue to tout future productivity gains as justification for a lenient approach to its governance. For example, venture fund ARK Invest predicts that “during the next eight years AI software could boost the productivity of the average knowledge worker by nearly 140%, adding approximately $50,000 in value per worker, or $56 trillion globally.” Accenture claims that “AI has the potential to boost labor productivity by up to 40 percent in 2035 . . . enabling people to make more efficient use of their time.” And OpenAI CEO Sam Altman similarly talks about time savings from menial tasks like emailing.
But what if promises around AI productivity do not necessarily translate into benefits to society?
