Advanced Technology Adoption: Selection or Causal Effects?
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 113,
May 2023
(pp. 210-14)
Abstract
This paper uses data from the 2019 Annual Business Survey to document that firms adopting advanced technologies are larger in terms of employment than other firms in their same industry and cohort. Using data from the Longitudinal Business Survey, we show that adopters were already large and growing faster before artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, and specialized software systems became broadly available. These findings support the view that adopters are large because of selection and not because adopting advanced technologies for automation causally expands their employment.Citation
Acemoglu, Daron, Gary Anderson, David Beede, Catherine Buffington, Eric Childress, Emin Dinlersoz, Lucia Foster, Nathan Goldschlag, John Haltiwanger, Zachary Kroff, Pascual Restrepo, and Nikolas Zolas. 2023. "Advanced Technology Adoption: Selection or Causal Effects?" AEA Papers and Proceedings, 113: 210-14. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20231037Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D22 Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
- J23 Labor Demand
- L25 Firm Performance: Size, Diversification, and Scope
- M15 IT Management
- M51 Personnel Economics: Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions
- O32 Management of Technological Innovation and R&D