NBER study: TTS tool for deaf delivery riders closed one-third of the disability pay gap
castrotech · x · 2026-09-17
- An NBER working paper offers the first large-scale productivity comparison of disabled vs. non-disabled workers, using deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) riders on a major Chinese food-delivery platform.
- Before a text-to-speech tool for calling customers, DHH riders were slower with worse ratings, but worked more hours, quit less, and generated higher platform profits.
- After the tool's sudden introduction, difference-in-differences estimates show faster deliveries, far fewer bad ratings, and higher labor supply, retention, and profits.
- Headline finding: the tool closed one-third of the disability hourly-pay gap, a concrete case of AI expanding economic opportunity.
Related event: TTS Tool Helps Deaf Delivery Riders Work Faster and Earn More(2 posts)→
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