Anthropic Economist Explains AI Unemployment Paradox: A Skill-Biased Technology

Peter McCrory, head of economics at Anthropic, recently explained the AI unemployment paradox. He noted that AI capabilities have significantly improved, making it reasonable to question why there has not yet been a noticeable impact on unemployment rates. According to the U.S. Business Trends and Outlook Survey, about one-fifth of American businesses use AI to some extent, and U.S. productivity growth has strengthened in recent years, partly possibly linked to AI. McCrory stated that the unemployment rate in the labor market remains near the level the Federal Reserve considers full employment, and even delving deeper into the data makes it difficult to draw clear conclusions about AI's impact. The basic assessment is that, so far, AI exhibits the characteristics of a skill-biased technology—it automates certain parts of work processes while complementing and amplifying specialized capabilities that rely on human involvement, thereby creating maximum value through human-machine collaboration.