Recent evidence indicates an upsurge in artificial intelligence and robotics (AI) patenting activities in the latest years, suggesting that solutions based on AI technologies might have started to exert an effect on the economy. We test this hypothesis using a worldwide sample of 5257 companies having filed at least a patent related to the field of AI between 2000 and 2016. Our analysis shows that, once controlling for other patenting activities, AI patent applications generate an extra-positive effect on companies’ labor productivity. The effect concentrates on SMEs and services industries, suggesting that the ability to quickly readjust and introduce AI-based applications in the production process is an important determinant of the impact of AI observed to date.

最近的证据表明，近年来人工智能和机器人技术（AI）的专利活动激增，这表明基于AI技术的解决方案可能已开始对经济产生影响。我们使用全球5257家公司的样本对这一假设进行了检验，该公司在2000年至2016年期间至少提交了与AI领域相关的专利。我们的分析表明，一旦控制了其他专利活动，AI专利申请将对AI产生正效应。公司的劳动生产率。这种影响集中在中小企业和服务行业，这表明在生产过程中快速重新调整和引入基于AI的应用程序的能力是迄今为止观察到的AI影响的重要决定因素。