The Coal Question

Jevons Paradox explained: when James Watt improved coal efficiency 8x, British coal consumption rose 18x. What this means for AI.

<p><strong>Jevons Paradox explained: when James Watt improved coal efficiency 8x, British coal consumption rose 18x. What this means for AI.</strong></p><p>In 1865, economist William Stanley Jevons observed that efficiency increases don't reduce consumption—they increase it. Now AI is making knowledge work radically more efficient. The question isn't 'what jobs survive?' but 'what explodes in demand?'</p><p>This episode examines why making things cheaper doesn't reduce demand—it explodes it.</p>