AI Boosts Productivity by 14%, Benefits Novice Customer Service Agents Most, Study Finds

A study by researchers from Stanford University and MIT reveals that generative AI tools can increase the productivity of customer service workers by an average of 14%, with the least-skilled employees benefiting the most. The study, conducted at a Fortune 500 software company, is the first to measure the impact of generative AI tools on workplace productivity outside a laboratory setting. The research demonstrated that the company's least-skilled workers completed their tasks 35% faster with AI assistance, and new employees with AI support performed comparably to agents with over six months of experience working without AI. This outcome challenges the belief that automation primarily harms low-skilled workers. However, top performers saw little to no benefit from AI integration, raising questions about compensation and incentives for workers whose expertise forms the foundation of AI tools.