The unequal adoption of ChatGPT exacerbates existing inequalities among workers
Anders Humlum, Emilie Vestergaard · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 30 Dec 2024
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Where this sits in the debate
- Will AI widen inequality? · its finding supports the claim (why studies differ)
Direction of the finding as read from the abstract by an AI model (AI-written).
Abstract
We study the adoption of ChatGPT, the icon of Generative AI, using a large-scale survey linked to comprehensive register data in Denmark. Surveying 18,000 workers from 11 exposed occupations, we document that ChatGPT is widespread, especially among younger and less-experienced workers. However, substantial inequalities have emerged. Women are 16 percentage points less likely to have used the tool for work. Furthermore, despite its potential to lift workers with less expertise, users of ChatGPT earned slightly more already before its arrival, even given their lower tenure. Workers see a substantial productivity potential in ChatGPT but are often hindered by employer restrictions and a perceived need for training.
About this publication
Leading field journal. A leading journal in economics or a neighbouring field (on the Tinbergen Institute’s A list or near the top of the RePEc ranking), or a top-rated computer-science venue.
Placed by: Leading field journal. How sources are ranked.
- Published
- 2024 (22 months ago)
- Citations
- 108 (OpenAlex)
Citations in context
108 citations — 87th percentile among the 23 indexed papers from 2024 in this collection. Citation counts favor older papers; this compares only same-year papers here, not the whole literature.
□ added to this collection in 2026.
Anders Humlum signed the wemustactnow.ai letter · author affiliation matches seed institution university of chicago — part of why this paper is in the collection.
Cited elsewhere in this guide
Related by theme, not necessarily by method or conclusion.
- The Effects of Generative AI on High Skilled Work: Evidence from Three Field Experiments with Software Developers
SSRN · 2024 - GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models
arXiv · 2023 - Extending “GPTs Are GPTs” to Firms
AEA Papers and Proceedings · 2025 - New Frontiers: The Origins and Content of New Work, 1940–2018
The Quarterly Journal of Economics · 2024
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