IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/bis/biswps/1135.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Artificial intelligence, services globalisation and income inequality

Author

Listed:
  • Giulio Cornelli
  • Jon Frost
  • Saurabh Mishra

Abstract

How does economic activity related to artificial intelligence (AI) impact the income of various groups in an economy? This study, using a panel of 86 countries over 2010–19, finds that investment in AI is associated with higher income inequality. In particular, AI investment is tied to higher real incomes and income shares for households in the top decile, while households in the fifth and bottom decile see a decline in their income shares. We also find a positive association with exports of modern services linked to AI. In labour markets, there is a contraction in overall employment, a shift from mid-skill to high-skill managerial roles and a reduced labour share of income.

Suggested Citation

  • Giulio Cornelli & Jon Frost & Saurabh Mishra, 2023. "Artificial intelligence, services globalisation and income inequality," BIS Working Papers 1135, Bank for International Settlements.
  • Handle: RePEc:bis:biswps:1135
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.bis.org/publ/work1135.pdf
    File Function: Full PDF document
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.bis.org/publ/work1135.htm
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thompson, Samuel B., 2011. "Simple formulas for standard errors that cluster by both firm and time," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 1-10, January.
    2. David Autor & David Dorn & Lawrence F Katz & Christina Patterson & John Van Reenen, 2020. "The Fall of the Labor Share and the Rise of Superstar Firms [“Automation and New Tasks: How Technology Displaces and Reinstates Labor”]," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 135(2), pages 645-709.
    3. Thomas Piketty & Emmanuel Saez & Gabriel Zucman, 2018. "Distributional National Accounts: Methods and Estimates for the United States," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 133(2), pages 553-609.
    4. Frederick Solt, 2020. "Measuring Income Inequality Across Countries and Over Time: The Standardized World Income Inequality Database," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 101(3), pages 1183-1199, May.
    5. Dani Rodrik, 2016. "Premature deindustrialization," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-33, March.
    6. Mishra, Saurabh & Lundstrom, Susanna & Anand, Rahul, 2011. "Service export sophistication and economic growth," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5606, The World Bank.
    7. Ejaz Ghani & Arti Grover Goswami & William R. Kerr, 2016. "Highway to Success: The Impact of the Golden Quadrilateral Project for the Location and Performance of Indian Manufacturing," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 126(591), pages 317-357, March.
    8. Gabrovski, Miroslav & Ortego-Marti, Victor, 2021. "Search and credit frictions in the housing market," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    9. Christoph Lakner & Branko Milanovic, 2016. "Global Income Distribution: From the Fall of the Berlin Wall to the Great Recession," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 30(2), pages 203-232.
    10. Mr. Nikola Spatafora & Rahul Anand & Mr. Saurabh Mishra, 2012. "Structural Transformation and the sophistication of Production," IMF Working Papers 2012/059, International Monetary Fund.
    11. Erik Brynjolfsson & Daniel Rock & Chad Syverson, 2018. "Artificial Intelligence and the Modern Productivity Paradox: A Clash of Expectations and Statistics," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Artificial Intelligence: An Agenda, pages 23-57, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Miremad Soleymanian & Charles B. Weinberg & Ting Zhu, 2019. "Sensor Data and Behavioral Tracking: Does Usage-Based Auto Insurance Benefit Drivers?," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(1), pages 21-43, January.
    13. Frost, Jon & Gambacorta, Leonardo & Gambacorta, Romina, 2022. "On the nexus between wealth inequality, financial development and financial technology," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 429-451.
    14. Gallipoli, Giovanni & Makridis, Christos A., 2018. "Structural transformation and the rise of information technology," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 91-110.
    15. Roland T. Rust & Ming-Hui Huang, 2014. "The Service Revolution and the Transformation of Marketing Science," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 33(2), pages 206-221, March.
    16. Jagdish N. Bhagwati, 1984. "Splintering and Disembodiment of Services and Developing Nations," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(2), pages 133-144, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2021. "Income Levels, Governance and Inclusive Human Development in Sub-Saharan Africa," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(1), pages 71-103, February.
    2. Hoyos, Mateo, 2024. "Tariffs and Growth: Heterogeneity by Economic Structure," SocArXiv v75aw, Center for Open Science.
    3. Mishra, Saurabh & Tewari, Ishani & Toosi, Siavash, 2020. "Economic complexity and the globalization of services," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 267-280.
    4. Kanbur, Ravi & Ortiz-Juarez, Eduardo & Sumner, Andy, 2024. "Is the era of declining global income inequality over?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 45-55.
    5. Ravallion, Martin, 2019. "Global inequality when unequal countries create unequal people," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 85-97.
    6. Lütkenhorst, Wilfried, 2018. "Creating wealth without labour? Emerging contours of a new techno-economic landscape," IDOS Discussion Papers 11/2018, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    7. Asongu, Simplice & Boateng, Agyenim & Akamavi, Raphael, 2016. "Mobile Phone Innovation and Inclusive Human Development: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," MPRA Paper 75046, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Simplice A. Asongu & Antonio R. Andrés, 2017. "The impact of software piracy on inclusive human development: evidence from Africa," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(5), pages 585-607, September.
    9. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2019. "Basic formal education quality, information technology, and inclusive human development in sub‐Saharan Africa," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(3), pages 419-428, May.
    10. Jacob, Tinu Iype & Paul, Sunil, 2024. "Labour income share, market power and automation: Evidence from an emerging economy," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 37-45.
    11. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2022. "Export diversification and financial openness," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 675-717, October.
    12. Asongu, Simplice & Nwachukwu, Jacinta C., 2016. "Welfare Spending and Quality of Growth in Developing Countries: A Note on Evidence from Hopefuls, Contenders and Best Performers," MPRA Paper 75047, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Ajay Agrawal & Joshua Gans & Avi Goldfarb, 2019. "Economic Policy for Artificial Intelligence," Innovation Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 19(1), pages 139-159.
    14. Simplice Asongu & Sara le Roux, 2018. "Understanding Sub-Saharan Africa’s Extreme Poverty Tragedy," AFEA Working Papers 18/010, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA).
    15. Simplice A. Asongu & Jacinta C. Nwachukwu, 2017. "The Comparative Inclusive Human Development of Globalisation in Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 134(3), pages 1027-1050, December.
    16. Pravakar Sahoo & Ranjan Kumar Dash, 2017. "What Drives India's Surge in Service Exports?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 439-461, February.
    17. Simplice Asongu & Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2015. "On the Empirics of Institutions and Quality of Growth: Evidence for Developing Countries," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 15/041, African Governance and Development Institute..
    18. Thomas Blanchet & Lucas Chancel & Amory Gethin, 2022. "Why Is Europe More Equal than the United States?," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 14(4), pages 480-518, October.
    19. soyoung Lee, 2018. "The Role of Firm Heterogeneity in the Earnings Inequality," 2018 Meeting Papers 1155, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    20. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2018. "Human development thresholds for inclusive mobile banking in developing countries," African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(6), pages 735-744, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    artificial intelligence; automation; services; structural shifts; inequality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bis:biswps:1135. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Martin Fessler (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/bisssch.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.