The trick: Cherry-Picked Slice
The Guardian says 90% of executives see no productivity gain from AI.
The survey behind it looked back over the last 3 years, and the same executives predict a 1.4% boost.
The Guardian reports that 90% of executives say AI has yet to translate to productivity gains, citing an Atlanta Fed working paper, in a story about companies pumping the brakes on AI.
Before you read on. Your call?
TRUE, BUT
1.4
The NBER abstract of Firm Data on AI says nine-in-ten executives report no impact on employment or productivity over the last 3 years. The same executives predict AI will boost productivity at their firms by an average of 1.4%. A second Atlanta Fed paper says gains are positive and expected to strengthen in 2026.
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The trick has a name
We call it Cherry-Picked Slice: the flattering subset, presented as the whole. You'll see it again. Learn to spot it →
Receipts
- Supports theguardian.com:
90% of executives say AI efforts have yet to translate to productivity gains at their companies
- Supports theguardian.com:
started off fast and furious on AI are pumping the brakes
- Supports nber.org:
executives report little own-firm impact of AI over the last 3 years, with nine-in-ten reporting no impact on employment or productivity
- Context nber.org:
predicting that AI will boost productivity at their firms by an average of 1.4%
- Context atlantafed.org:
more than 80 percent of firms reporting no impact on either employment or productivity
- Context atlantafed.org:
around 70 percent of firms actively use AI
- Refutes atlantafed.org:
Labor productivity gains are positive, vary across sectors, and are expected to strengthen in 2026
- Context atlantafed.org:
perceived productivity gains are larger than measured productivity gains
- Context artificialintelligence-news.com:
On average, they expect a 1.4% increase in productivity and a 0.8% rise in output.
- Context artificialintelligence-news.com:
produced by teams from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the Bank of England, the Deutsche Bundesbank and Macquarie University
Open the Receipts Pack → What each source proves, every figure traced, and what would change our verdict.
