Marketplace · Wednesday, September 30, 2026
While significant investment is flowing into AI, its ultimate impact on productivity is still unclear. Experts draw parallels to the 1990s IT boom, which had a slower-than-expected effect on productivity, and question whether AI will be a transformative technology like the wheel or a less impactful innovation like the fax machine.
“All of this investment is meant to make us more productive. But Strube says it's not entirely clear how that's going to pan out.”
“The IT boom in the 1990s didn't contribute as much to productivity as you might have expected, given how it seemed like it transformed all of our lives.”
“We don't know yet if AI is the next fax machine, which was everywhere in the 90s, but ultimately superseded by something else, or if it's the next wheel.”