In the 19th century, two paradoxes reshaped the way we think about progress. The Jevons Paradox revealed a curious twist: making resource use more efficient can actually lead to more total consumption. The Luddite Paradox told a different but equally counterintuitive story: technology intended to minimize human labour can ultimately create more jobs. Today, in the age of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), we’re witnessing these two forces dance together, and they’re bringing along a third partner: the psychology of human adaptation.
This isn’t just an economic pattern; it’s a lived experience for anyone who’s adopted AI into their daily workflow. To understand this better, here’s a small exploration on both the societal and personal levels, and then connect the dots.
In Jevons’s time, the coal-powered steam engine became more efficient, lowering the cost of energy. Instead of using less coal, society found new applications for it, factories, transportation, heating, and coal consumption soared. The paradox was clear: efficiency did not conserve; it expanded.
Fast-forward to AI. The same principle applies, except the “resource” is cognitive labour. AI tools drastically reduce the time and effort needed for tasks like writing reports, analysing data, creating marketing material, and even programming. Logically, one might think, “If AI can do my work faster, I’ll have more free time.” But in practice, what happens is that organizations and individuals fill that freed-up time with more work.
The Luddite Paradox weaves in here. Instead of erasing jobs, AI creates whole new categories of work: prompt engineers, AI auditors, integration specialists, AI ethics consultants. Even roles that already existed get reshaped, requiring new AI literacy skills. It’s as if a tool designed to lighten the load has encouraged us to build bigger ships.
While the macro trends are fascinating, the micro-level, how individuals experience this, tells a more human story.
Imagine you’ve been pushing a heavy shopping cart uphill for years. Then one day, someone gives you a motorized cart that glides forward effortlessly. At first, you’re thrilled. You cover distances you never dreamed of. You load it with more goods than you ever could before. It’s intoxicating. It’s a very weird example, but that’s what makes it fun.
This is the first phase with AI: the Hype & Overdrive phase. We discover the tools, dive in, and push ourselves harder, thinking, “If I can do twice as much now, imagine how far ahead I’ll get.”
But the human brain and body weren’t built for endless acceleration. Eventually, the adrenaline wears off. Deadlines and endless projects pile up. You’re working longer hours, juggling more commitments, and the joy starts to fade. Burnout creeps in, sometimes quietly, sometimes like a crash.
After burnout comes the pullback. You slow down, reclaim your evenings, rediscover hobbies, and let yourself coast. This feels good for a while, until you start to feel stagnant. Maybe your creativity dulls. Maybe you feel restless. Maybe a creeping sense of purposelessness and worthlessness sets in.
This triggers the pushback toward productivity. You start working more, chasing the high of achievement. But this time, hopefully, with more self-awareness.
Over time, many people go through several oscillations: