# The AI Economy: How Artificial Intelligence is Used in Work and Daily Life

Google's ATLAS report reveals the economic impacts of artificial intelligence.

- **Source:** [The Keyword](https://brifing.si/source/1bf6786b-d11e-4f89-9ea8-3bf84080f694)
- **Published:** 2026-07-23
- **Topic:** [Data & AI](https://brifing.si/c/data-ai)
- **Original article:** <https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/research/understanding-the-ai-economy/>
- **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/a86db30b-5870-4779-a736-67b887ddd5d7

## Mapping the AI Economy

Google's ATLAS project provides a comprehensive study to understand AI usage in work and daily life. Analyzing 15 million human-AI interactions, the report covers 150 countries and 800 occupations. This data establishes a critical baseline for measuring AI's economic impacts.

## AI Adoption in the Workplace

ATLAS data shows AI usage is widespread across all sectors but shallow. Employees use AI for only about 21% of tasks. Most common applications include collaborative activities like ideation, strategy development, and information retrieval. Full task automation accounts for less than 10% of interactions.

## Beyond White-Collar Workers

AI assists not just office workers but also those in physical occupations. Automotive technicians and industrial mechanics use AI for real-time diagnostics and troubleshooting. These workers are twice as likely to use AI in multimodal ways compared to other professions.

## AI Use at Home

86% of AI interactions occur outside work. Users employ AI for activities not captured by standard economic metrics: product research, appliance troubleshooting, and navigating administrative tasks like taxes. This suggests AI's economic impact is underreported in official statistics.

## Global AI Diffusion

AI usage appears in over 150 countries, with English representing only one-third of conversations. Per capita AI usage generally tracks with national wealth levels. However, some middle-income countries show adoption rates comparable to high-income nations.

## Future Challenges

The ATLAS project represents just the first step in understanding the AI economy. As AI capabilities expand and applications diversify, such data-driven studies will become increasingly vital. More research is needed on the digital divide and AI's workforce impacts.

## Sources covering this story

- https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/research/understanding-the-ai-economy/ — 

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_Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._