Where's the AI payoff? Economist calls for output data over input metrics
soumitrashukla9 · x · 2026-09-24
A forwarded observation argues we need more evidence of actual output improvements from AI—better apps, better customer experience, new products—rather than input-side metrics like usage rates and engineer productivity.
While ATLAS data shows AI helping with complex tasks, output-side evidence is thin: Spotify claims its engineers are super productive and shipping constantly, yet the user experience (n=1) is the same or slightly worse. The call: better data on outputs, not inputs.
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