The Arithmetic of Productivity Boosts: Why Does a “40% Increase in Productivity” Never Actually Work?

# Why AI Productivity Claims Often Fall Short When companies claim their tools will boost your productivity by 40%, that number rarely translates to real-world gains—and there are real mathematical reasons why. The promised efficiency gains often get eaten up by switching costs, learning curves, and the fact that most jobs can't be sped up uniformly across every task. Understanding this gap between the headline numbers and what actually happens to your workday can help you evaluate whether new AI tools are genuinely worth adopting.