IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org//a/eee/ecolet/v244y2024ics0165176524004336.html

The role of human-capital in artificial intelligence adoption

Author

Listed:
  • Brey, Björn
  • van der Marel, Erik

Abstract

We study the role of human-capital on the early adoption and diffusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. We do this using recently released EUROSTAT data on AI-adoption across European countries and industries in 2021. We find that pre-existing differences in human-capital are a key driver of differences in AI-adoption. Our estimates suggest that one-third-to half of AI-adoption is linked to differences in available human-capital across country-industry cells. This relationship holds even when we account for country and industry specific factors. Moreover, higher clustering of university educated workers in firms appears crucial for AI-adoption. This effect is particularly strong for the following AI technologies: (i) those assisting the automation of processes and (ii) those that enable physical movements of machinery. Within firms, human-capital fosters the use of AI in processes associated with production, management and logistics. Despite documenting the automative nature of the AI technologies adopted, we find no evidence for them leading to employment declines (at least by 2021).

Suggested Citation

  • Brey, Björn & van der Marel, Erik, 2024. "The role of human-capital in artificial intelligence adoption," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:244:y:2024:i:c:s0165176524004336
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2024.111949
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165176524004336
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.econlet.2024.111949?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alexandra de Pleijt & Alessandro Nuvolari & Jacob Weisdorf, 2020. "Human Capital Formation During the First Industrial Revolution: Evidence from the use of Steam Engines," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 18(2), pages 829-889.
    2. Kristina McElheran & J. Frank Li & Erik Brynjolfsson & Zachary Kroff & Emin Dinlersoz & Lucia Foster & Nikolas Zolas, 2024. "AI adoption in America: Who, what, and where," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 375-415, March.
    3. Comin, Diego & Mestieri, Martí, 2014. "Technology Diffusion: Measurement, Causes, and Consequences," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 2, pages 565-622, Elsevier.
    4. Francesca Borgonovi & Flavio Calvino & Chiara Criscuolo & Lea Samek & Helke Seitz & Julia Nania & Julia Nitschke & Layla O’Kane, 2023. "Emerging trends in AI skill demand across 14 OECD countries," OECD Artificial Intelligence Papers 2, OECD Publishing.
    5. Antonio Ciccone & Elias Papaioannou, 2023. "Estimating Cross-Industry Cross-Country Interaction Models Using Benchmark Industry Characteristics," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 133(649), pages 130-158.
    6. Flavio Calvino & Luca Fontanelli, 2023. "A portrait of AI adopters across countries: Firm characteristics, assets’ complementarities and productivity," OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers 2023/02, OECD Publishing.
    7. Xiang Hui & Oren Reshef & Luofeng Zhou, 2023. "The Short-Term Effects of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Employment: Evidence from an Online Labor Market," CESifo Working Paper Series 10601, CESifo.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Luca Fontanelli & Flavio Calvino & Chiara Criscuolo & Lionel Nesta & Elena Verdolini, 2024. "The role of human capital for AI adoption: Evidence from French firms," Post-Print hal-05029748, HAL.
    2. Fontanelli, Luca & Calvino, Flavio & Criscuolo, Chiara & Nesta, Lionel & Verdolini, Elena, 2025. "Human after all: Occupations at the core of AI adoption," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    3. Garcia-Lazaro, Aida & Mendez-Astudillo, Jorge & Lattanzio, Susan & Larkin, Charles & Newnes, Linda, 2025. "The digital skill premium: Evidence from job vacancy data," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    4. Feng, Yanchao & Yan, Tong & Guo, Jia, 2026. "Assessing the global impact of artificial intelligence on energy resilience: The role of financial inclusion," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    5. Flavio Calvino & Luca Fontanelli, 2026. "Decoding AI: an early look at how French firms use AI," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 16(1), pages 51-93, March.
    6. Guarascio, Dario & Reljic, Jelena, 2025. "AI and employment in Europe," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 247(C).
    7. Wang, Yanyan & Chu, Fuling, 2025. "How does artificial intelligence impact household energy poverty? Empirical evidence from China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    8. Carlo Drago & Alberto Costantiello & Marco Savorgnan & Angelo Leogrande, 2025. "Driving AI Adoption in the EU: A Quantitative Analysis of Macroeconomic Influences," Working Papers hal-05102974, HAL.
    9. Park, Jeong-Ah & Kim, Chang Hyun & Kim, Hye-Jin, 2026. "AI literacy for safe deployment: Cross-national evidence on the interaction between talent and governance," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(1).
    10. Carlo Drago & Alberto Costantiello & Marco Savorgnan & Angelo Leogrande, 2025. "Macroeconomic and Labor Market Drivers of AI Adoption in Europe: A Machine Learning and Panel Data Approach," Economies, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-62, August.
    11. Gao, Zhiyuan & Zhao, Ying & Li, Lianqing & Hao, Yu, 2025. "Artificial intelligence and urban social risk in China: A spatial analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    12. Lei, Liying & Feng, Hui & Ren, Jingjing, 2025. "Artificial intelligence, human capital and firm-level total factor productivity," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fontanelli, Luca & Calvino, Flavio & Criscuolo, Chiara & Nesta, Lionel & Verdolini, Elena, 2025. "Human after all: Occupations at the core of AI adoption," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    2. Yusuke Aoki & Joon Suk Park & Yuya Takada & Koji Takahashi, 2025. "Expecting job replacement by GenAI: effects on workers' economic outlook and behavior," BIS Working Papers 1269, Bank for International Settlements.
    3. Flavio Calvino & Luca Fontanelli, 2026. "Decoding AI: an early look at how French firms use AI," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 16(1), pages 51-93, March.
    4. Fontanelli, Luca & Guerini, Mattia & Miniaci, Raffaele & Secchi, Angelo, 2025. "Predictive AI and productivity growth dynamics: Evidence from French firms," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    5. Flavio Calvino & Luca Fontanelli, 2025. "Decoding AI: Nine facts about how firms use artificial intelligence in France," LEM Papers Series 2025/13, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    6. Luca Fontanelli & Flavio Calvino & Chiara Criscuolo & Lionel Nesta & Elena Verdolini, 2024. "The role of human capital for AI adoption: Evidence from French firms," Post-Print hal-05029748, HAL.
    7. Bonney, Kathryn & Breaux, Cory & Buffington, Catherine & Dinlersoz, Emin & Foster, Lucia & Goldschlag, Nathan & Haltiwanger, John & Kroff, Zachary & Savage, Keith, 2024. "The impact of AI on the workforce: Tasks versus jobs?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    8. Calvino, Flavio & Fontanelli, Luca, 2026. "AI users are not all alike: The characteristics of French firms buying and developing AI," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(5).
    9. Paul Berbée & Sebastian Till Braun & Richard Franke, 2025. "Reversing fortunes of German regions, 1926–2019: Boon and bane of early industrialization?," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 307-337, June.
    10. Battisti, Michele & Gatto, Massimo Del & Parmeter, Christopher F., 2022. "Skill-biased technical change and labor market inefficiency," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    11. Jérôme Hambye-Verbrugghen & Stefano Bianchini & Paul E Brockway & Emmanuel Aramendia & Matthew K Heun & Zeke Marshall, 2025. "From twin transition to twice the burden? Digitalisation, energy demand, and economic growth," Post-Print hal-05460038, HAL.
    12. Peter S. Eppinger & Katja Neugebauer, 2022. "External financial dependence and firms’ crisis performance across Europe," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 887-904, February.
    13. Venkat Ram Reddy Ganuthula, 2025. "AI-enabled individual entrepreneurship theory: redefining scale, capability, and sustainability in the digital age," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    14. Evangelos Katsamakas & Oleg V. Pavlov & Ryan Saklad, 2024. "Artificial intelligence and the transformation of higher education institutions," Papers 2402.08143, arXiv.org.
    15. Felipe A. Csaszar & Harsh Ketkar & Hyunjin Kim, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence and Strategic Decision-Making: Evidence from Entrepreneurs and Investors," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(4), pages 322-345, December.
    16. Cinnirella, Francesco & Harka, Elona, 2025. "From Chalkboards to Steam Engines: Early Adoption of Compulsory Schooling, Innovation, and Industrialization," CEPR Discussion Papers 20519, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    17. Francesco D'Acunto & Nagpurnanand Prabhala & Alberto G. Rossi, 2018. "The Promises and Pitfalls of Robo-advising," CESifo Working Paper Series 6907, CESifo.
    18. Björn Brey, 2021. "The Long-run Gains from the Early Adoption of Electricity," Working Papers ECARES 2021-23, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    19. Maria A. Cattaneo & Christian Gschwendt & Stefan C. Wolter, 2024. "How Scary is the Risk of Automation? Evidence from a Large Survey Experiment," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0213, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    20. Zainab Asif & Radhika Lahiri, 2021. "Dimensions of human capital and technological diffusion," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 941-967, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:244:y:2024:i:c:s0165176524004336. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolet .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.