Welcome to the Infinite Work Machine

Interesting perspective. Will the economy just become an infinite arms race of bots and slop? > This morning we released an episode with Lindsay Owens, president and CEO of Groundwork Collaborative and author of the new book Gouged: The End of a Fair Price — and What That Means for Your Wallet. In the conversation, we talk a lot about algorithmic and personalized pricing. But of course, you can’t talk about prices nowadays without also talking about AI. > Already we’ve seen Meta unveil its new agent Muse, which promises to find “the best deals” for its users. The problem is that sellers of goods also have access to AI tools which are capable of doing the exact opposite: using vast reams of data and behavioral studies to try to extract the highest price from buyers. The result is a potential bot vs. bot arms race, where buyers and sellers deploy technology to continuously outmaneuver each other on price. > I’ve talked before about AI leading to a Jevons paradox of administrative busywork that ends up eating into any ostensible productivity gains. Named after the 19th century economist, William Stanley Jevons, the paradox describes efficiency gains that end up increasing total consum