Does better work always mean better workers?
Google Research
A field experiment tested whether a Google AI patent-writing assistant improves patent lawyers’ performance and durable judgment when the tool is available versus removed after three months. After 10 days, AI access increased drafting scores by 0.34 standard deviations (about a 10-point percentile gain) and the gap remained similar at 90 days (0.38 SD). The short-term drafting boost did not translate to improved unassisted redlining for junior lawyers, so AI helped immediate output but did not reliably build long-term expertise.
