The recent surge in American productivity is more closely linked to the rise of work-from-home policies than to advancements in artificial intelligence, according to Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom. Over the past five years, productivity for non-farm businesses has increased by 2% annually, a significant jump from the 1% growth seen during most of the 2010s. This trend coincides with the widespread adoption of remote work, which Bloom argues has allowed workers to save time on commuting and focus more on their tasks.