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What Work Does Generative AI Do?

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Abstract

We measure how workers use genAI for their jobs in a nationally representative survey linking genAI adoption to detailed occupations and tasks. Our data provide the first task-level genAI adoption indexes, which we show can inform analyses of genAI's labor market impact. Exposure scores explain some, but far from all, of the variation in adoption across occupations and tasks. We also distinguish our indexes from measures based on genAI platform chat logs, which differ conceptually and tend to over-classify chats into generic activities spanning many occupations. Finally, we highlight that current adoption is widespread but shallow: genAI is used across many occupations and tasks, yet within most of them, fewer than half of workers adopt. This indicates substantial variation among workers doing very similar work, suggesting that understanding who adopts may matter as much as understanding which tasks genAI assists.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Bick & Adam Blandin & David Deming & Tyler Schumacher, 2026. "What Work Does Generative AI Do?," Working Papers 2026-017, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedlwp:103693
    DOI: 10.20955/wp.2026.017
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    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • C83 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Survey Methods; Sampling Methods

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