GenAI could boost productivity for 80% of Chile’s workers, study finds
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES — A new study by Gabriel Weintraub, a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, suggests that generative artificial intelligence could dramatically enhance productivity in Chile’s workforce without sacrificing job quality.
Weintraub and his co-researchers analyzed the country’s 100 most common jobs and found that AI could significantly speed up nearly half of all tasks.
“While there are real concerns about GenAI’s impact on the workforce, there’s also a major opportunity,” Weintraub said. “GenAI can speed up routine tasks and work alongside humans, allowing people to focus on higher-value work.”
The findings show that 80% of Chilean workers are in roles where AI could accelerate at least 30% of their daily tasks. The value of the time saved could reach nearly 12% of Chile’s gross domestic product.
Which jobs stand to gain most
The study, co-authored with experts from Chile’s National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Sofofa, a major trade federation, utilized data from Workhelix to categorize jobs into specific tasks and assess how much AI could accelerate each one.
The average boost in efficiency across all roles is 48%, with some jobs seeing even greater benefits:
- Software developers: 87% of tasks could be accelerated
- Policy specialists: 84%
- Data analysts: 80%
Accountants could see an estimated $1.7 billion in annual value from AI-accelerated tasks, followed by lawyers ($1.6 billion), engineers ($1.3 billion), and retail/warehouse operators ($1.3 billion). Elementary education teachers, who face mounting classroom pressures, represent over $1.2 billion in potential annual gains.
Focus on implementation and early wins
The researchers stress that realizing these gains depends on “implementation, training, and the right policies—and many of those need to be in place now,” as Weintraub emphasized.
Public administration is highlighted as a priority, with more than 84,000 government employees in roles ripe for AI-driven efficiency improvements, such as data entry and document processing.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which comprise 65% of Chile’s workforce, also demonstrate strong potential for AI acceleration, particularly in sales, customer service, and operations.
However, many SMEs may lack the necessary digital infrastructure or skills to effectively adopt AI. “For a lot of SMEs, adopting this technology is still a big leap,” Weintraub noted.
Not all jobs equally affected
The study found that while higher-paying roles often have more exposure to AI, the benefits plateau at upper income levels. Senior executives and medical professionals are less likely to see direct gains, as their work relies heavily on human judgment and interaction.
“That’s still not something GenAI is built to replace,” Weintraub said.
The authors recommend targeting “quick wins” in admin-heavy roles within schools, government, and SMEs to build momentum for broader adoption.
Ultimately, tapping AI’s full potential will depend on focusing on where it can work best and ensuring the right support is in place to make it happen.
