What Jevons Paradox Tells Us About the World Around Us
Jevons Effect (Jevons Paradox, “Jee-vons”):
An economic theory suggesting that efficiency gains can increase, rather than reduce, total consumption.
In 1865, British economist William Jevons observed a seeming paradox with the rise of the steam engine and its effect on coal consumption. As coal use became more efficient, he expected total coal consumption to decline. Instead, it surged. This observation remains relevant to the world around us.
Will the Middle East Conflict Reshape Global Energy Strategy?
In the spring, the Strait of Hormuz exposed the risks of routing roughly 20 percent of global supply through a single chokepoint. The resulting disruptions not only drove fossil fuel prices sharply higher but reinforced a broader reality: energy security is inseparable from national security. This has raised the question of whether it will accelerate a structural shift in global energy strategy.
Indeed, recent developments have prompted many nations to revisit their energy policies, including renewed interest in alternative sources aimed at reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. However, expectations of a rapid decline in fossil fuel use may be overly optimistic. Even as efficiency improves, total oil demand has proven resilient — an outcome consistent with the Jevons effect. Today, while energy use per unit of GDP has declined over two decades, total energy consumption has not. Global oil consumption now exceeds 100 million barrels per day, up from around 60 million just half a century ago. In the U.S., per capita energy use has only declined at around half the pace of efficiency gains.1
What Jevons May Explain About Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This same effect may also apply to the evolving technological landscape. Given the rapid advancement of AI, there has been significant debate over whether it will replace labour. However, some economists argue that a Jevons-style dynamic is more likely: as the cost of AI-powered cognition falls, the total market for human intelligence may expand.2 For example, as AI makes professional services, such as legal work, accounting, consulting and financial analysis, cheaper and more efficient, overall demand could increase. Some studies already show that AI-exposed industries continue to see job and wage growth, suggesting that productivity gains may be complementing workers rather than replacing them. At the same time, certain entry-level roles, particularly for recent graduates, appear to be under pressure.
Of course, technological inflection points have always reshaped labour markets, with some jobs being displaced. Yet history also reminds us that new jobs are created and others augmented. For instance, when ATMs were introduced, many predicted the end of bank tellers. While teller roles initially declined per branch, ATMs reduced operating costs and enabled banks to open more branches. Similarly, in healthcare, advances in medical imaging raised concerns about radiologists becoming obsolete. Instead, imaging demand increased substantially due to lower costs and an aging population, and radiologists continue to be essential for interpreting and integrating results.
1. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48976
2. https://www.apollo.com/wealth/the-daily-spark/the-jevons-employment-effect-from-ai