AI may already be adding hundreds of billions to the economy—without showing up in the data
Economists are struggling to accurately measure AI's economic impact, with official statistics failing to capture its rapid growth and improvement. A new policy brief from the Peterson Institute for International Economics estimates AI generated $250 billion in economic activity in 2025, with output growing at an astounding 2,600% annually. The authors propose creating a dedicated statistical track for AI to better inform policy decisions, though some experts question the scale of these claims, arguing AI's impact is primarily as an ingredient rather than a final product. AI
IMPACT Discusses the challenges in measuring AI's economic contribution and proposes solutions for better policy-making.