The Economist [free link] – “Turn your thoughts to the humble tractor. No one quite knows who invented it or when, but all agree that it took a surprisingly long time for such a productivity-enhancing device to make a mark. As late as the 1950s, less than half of American farms reported having the things. Looking at the sluggish rate at which firms adopt new technologies, my colleagues suspect that something similar may one day be said of artificial intelligence. Companies that grasp the opportunities of AI are likely to reap huge benefits; others (and their employees) may be left in the dust. Speculation about the consequences of ai—for jobs, productivity and quality of life—is at fever pitch.

The tech is awe-inspiring. And yet ai’s economic impact will be muted unless millions of firms beyond Silicon Valley adopt it. That would mean far more than using the odd chatbot. Instead, it would involve the full-scale reorganisation of businesses and their in-house data. “The diffusion of technological improvements”, argues Nancy Stokey of the University of Chicago, “is arguably as critical as innovation for long-run growth.”