newsletter.semianalysis.com/p/ai-dark-output-the-visible-cost-of
1 correction found
In Anthropic’s Economic Index from March 2026 they show 37% of tokens are being used in computers and mathematics
Anthropic’s March 2026 report did not say 37% of tokens were used for computer-and-math work; it reported 35% of conversations on Claude.ai in that category.
Full reasoning
Anthropic’s official March 24, 2026 Economic Index report says that tasks associated with Computer and Mathematical occupations accounted for 35% of conversations on Claude.ai. It does not say that 37% of tokens were used there.
This matters because the article changes both the number and the unit:
- Anthropic’s March 2026 report: 35% of conversations on Claude.ai
- Article claim: 37% of tokens
Anthropic’s earlier September 2025 Economic Index likewise described coding/computer-math usage in terms of conversation/task share, not token share, and put the overall Claude.ai figure at 36% in that report. So the article appears to mix together different Anthropic vintages and replace Anthropic’s reported unit (conversations/usage share) with a different one (tokens).
2 sources
- Anthropic Economic Index report: Learning curves
Coding remains the most common use on our platforms, with tasks associated with Computer and Mathematical occupations accounting for 35% of conversations on Claude.ai.
- Anthropic Economic Index report: Uneven geographic and enterprise AI adoption
While computer and mathematical tasks still dominate overall usage at 36% ...