Instead, you just started working harder.
You adapted. You hustled. You learned the tools.
ChatGPT writes your emails in 10 seconds instead of 10 minutes. Should save you time, right?
So why are you working longer hours than ever?
Welcome to the Jevons Paradox, the most counterintuitive law of efficiency.
In the 1800s, they invented more efficient steam engines. Everyone thought, great, we'll use less coal.
Instead, coal consumption exploded.
Why?
Because efficient engines were so cheap to run, people built way more of them.
Same thing happened with LEDs. They used 90% less electricity than old bulbs.
So what did we do?
We put lights everywhere. Buildings became light sculptures. Cities turned into 24/7 daylight.
We used more electricity on lighting than ever before.
And now, AI.
You used to write one email carefully. Now ChatGPT helps you send 50.
You used to research one topic deeply. Now you ask AI about everything that pops into your head.
AI was supposed to free up your time.
Instead it created infinite busy work.
Efficiency doesn't reduce consumption. It makes consumption so cheap and easy that we consume infinitely more.
The better our tools get, the busier we become.
Weird how progress works, isn't it?
Are you using AI to work less, or are you just doing more work in the same time?
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