Workers’ age and AI adoption
Numerous studies have analysed the effects of AI on productivity, growth and employment. Few of these focus on the factors that promote or hinder the
Beyond exposure: Predicting AI adoption based on comparative advantage
Predictions about the workplace impact of artificial intelligence often begin with what the technology can do captured by occupations’ exposure to AI. Using representative data
Technology adoption and labour shortages: Evidence from Britain’s Industrial Revolution
As populations in rich countries age and fewer youngsters enter the labour force, employers and politicians bemoan labour ‘shortages’. This column turns to historical evidence
AI, productivity, and work: Evidence from US firms
Real-time evidence from users can inform the current policy debates around artificial intelligence. This column reports on a survey of executives at typical US firms
Why some digital payment systems replace cash and others don’t
Digital payment systems promise to extend financial services to people underserved by banks, and overcoming barriers to the adoption of such systems is thus central
When the cloud meets a thirsty world
Throughout history, water has been the quiet engine behind progress: farmers irrigate fields to grow crops; industry needs it to produce goods and generate energy;
The real impact of FinTech: Evidence from mobile payment technology
FinTech has transformed finance, but the broader effects of digital payments on consumers, businesses, and banks remain underexplored. This column examines the impact of Singapore’s
Bank climate commitments and green lending in emerging markets
The low-carbon transition requires substantial financial mobilisation, yet it is unclear whether banks’ public climate commitments represent real change or simply greenwashing. This column uses
Can AI give small scale producers the right advice?
The World Bank has long recognized the critical importance of agricultural extension services – ranging from training and data to technology transfer – which make
Task-based returns to generative AI: Evidence from a central bank
How does generative AI affect real workplace productivity? This column reports results from an experiment at the National Bank of Slovakia, where staff were randomly
