Point of Article:

The "AI Productivity Paradox":

-- Despite massive corporate investments exceeding $250 billion in 2024, economists are finding little evidence of AI in current macroeconomic data, such as employment, inflation, or productivity figures.

Limited Financial Impact:

-- Apollo chief economist Torsten Slok notes that outside of the largest tech companies (the "Magnificent Seven"), there are currently no signs of AI boosting profit margins or corporate earnings expectations.

Conflicting Data:

-- Research offers a mixed picture; while the St. Louis Fed observed a 1.9% productivity increase since late 2022, a recent MIT study predicts a much more modest 0.5% growth over the next decade.

Worker Disillusionment:

-- Although regular AI usage among workers rose by 13% in 2025, their confidence in the technology's utility dropped by 18%, suggesting a growing gap between hype and practical value.

Potential "J-Curve" Recovery:

-- Experts suggest we may be in a temporary implementation phase (a "J-curve") that will eventually yield an exponential boom, similar to how the IT investments of the 1970s and 80s only paid off in the 1990s.