Anthropic has released its fifth Economic Index report, highlighting how artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape labour markets, with proficiency emerging as a potential fault line in employment outcomes.
The study, based on usage patterns of its Claude AI model, finds that individuals with longer experience using AI systems are significantly better at generating successful responses. This suggests that familiarity and skill in prompting and interacting with AI tools could increasingly differentiate workers, creating a new layer of inequality in the job market.
The report also tracks the evolution of AI adoption geographically. In the United States, usage is becoming more evenly distributed across regions and sectors. Globally, however, the picture is more uneven, with disparities in access and adoption widening between countries and user groups.
In India, the data points to a strong tilt towards technical and productivity-driven use cases. The most common applications include developing, debugging and modifying websites and web applications (6.7%), followed by assistance with academic coursework (3.8%). Other prominent uses include building and managing business software (3.4%), troubleshooting technical systems (3.4%), and creating marketing and SEO content (3.0%).
India also stands out for several “distinctive” use cases that appear more frequently than the global average. Website and web application development is 1.9 times more common, while creating and optimising CVs and job application materials is 1.8 times higher. Programming and coding support is 1.6 times more prevalent, alongside elevated usage in graphic design, UI/UX and branding (1.5 times), as well as debugging and refactoring code (1.4 times).
These patterns suggest that Indian users are heavily leveraging AI tools for technical work, career advancement and digital productivity, reflecting the country’s large base of developers, students and knowledge workers.
Anthropic said the findings underscore the importance of building widespread AI literacy. As organisations integrate AI into workflows, those who can effectively use these tools may gain a significant advantage, while others risk being left behind.
The company’s Economic Index initiative aims to provide ongoing insights into how AI is transforming work, productivity and economic structures. As adoption accelerates, the report suggests that bridging access and skills gaps will be critical to ensuring more equitable outcomes in the AI-driven economy.
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