Abundance Is the Catalyst

When Resources Become Abundant, Innovation Becomes Inevitable

Initially, the promise of faster internet seemed straightforward: files would download more quickly, webpages would load instantly, and tasks that once took minutes could be completed in seconds. Logically, you might imagine that our expectation was to spend less time online. That's not quite how it played out.

As bandwidth grew more abundant (faster, cheaper, wider), so did the scope of what was possible. Streaming high-definition video became normal. Remote collaboration tools moved from niche to essential. Entire industries, from cloud computing to social media, took shape. Bandwidth abundance didn’t just improve what we were already doing—it transformed how we used the internet and what we expected from it.

This is a pattern we see time and again. When a resource that was once scarce becomes abundant, it doesn’t lead to less use or stagnation. It leads to entirely new ways of thinking and working.

The Jevons Paradox: Why Efficiency Drives More Use

The idea that abundance drives greater usage isn’t just an observation—it’s a phenomenon economists have studied for over a century. In 1865, the British economist William Stanley Jevons identified what is now called the Jevons Paradox. He noticed that as coal-powered steam engines became more efficient, coal consumption didn’t decrease. In fact, it increased dramatically.

The logic seems counterintuitive: wouldn’t making a resource more efficient reduce how much we use it? But Jevons realized that efficiency lowers costs and removes barriers, creating new demand and applications. As steam engines became more efficient, they became more affordable, versatile, and widespread, fueling industrial growth and ultimately increasing coal consumption.

This same principle applies to bandwidth, computing, and now artificial intelligence. When a resource becomes more accessible, people find new ways to use it. Abundance leads to expansion, not contraction.

Jevons in the Modern Era

In the 1990s, as bandwidth expanded, the cost of transferring data dropped. This didn’t result in people using less internet—it fueled exponential growth. Streaming, video conferencing, and cloud computing all became possible because lower costs and greater availability removed barriers to entry.

The same is true for computing power. Early computers were scarce and expensive, so they were only used for mission-critical tasks. As costs dropped and processing power grew, computing became central to everything from mobile apps to advanced research. The abundance of computing didn’t reduce our reliance on it—it made it indispensable.

AI and the Next Phase of Abundance

Today, we’re on the cusp of another shift in abundance—this time with artificial intelligence. Per Jevons: far from capping our reliance on AI, greater efficiency and abundance will integrate it further into our lives.

At the moment, AI is often framed as a tool for efficiency. It helps automate tasks, analyze data, and generate content. These are valuable applications, but they are just the beginning. As AI becomes more accessible and widely deployed, its role will expand, just as bandwidth, electricity, and computing did before it.

Imagine an education system where every student has access to a personalized tutor, one that adapts to their learning style and pace. Picture a healthcare system where diagnostics are not only faster but also more accurate, guided by AI models trained on global datasets. Consider industries that don’t yet exist—applications of AI that we can’t fully anticipate today but will feel essential in the decades to come.

This is the potential of AI abundance. Its value won’t just be in making existing processes more efficient. It will be in unlocking new possibilities and reshaping industries in ways we don’t yet understand.

Abundance Changes the Questions We Ask

When a resource is scarce, the focus is on efficiency. How can we make the most of what we have? How can we optimize within the limits of what’s available? But when a resource becomes abundant, the questions change. We start to ask: What else can we do? What problems can we solve that were previously out of reach?

With bandwidth, these questions led to streaming services, video calls, and real-time collaboration. With computing, they led to artificial intelligence, mobile devices, and the digital economy. With AI, the answers are still unfolding, but the pattern is clear.

The abundance of AI won’t mean less reliance on it. It will mean greater integration into every aspect of life. Over time, it will likely move from being a tool we use to a foundational infrastructure we depend on, much like electricity or the internet.

A Measured Perspective

This isn’t to say that abundance is without challenges. With every technological shift, there are questions of equity, access, and unintended consequences. But history shows us that abundance tends to expand opportunity, not limit it. The key is to ensure that the benefits are widely distributed and that we think carefully about how to navigate the risks.

The Takeaway

Abundance doesn’t reduce demand—it creates new opportunities. Whether it’s bandwidth, electricity, or compute power, history shows that when scarcity gives way to abundance, the result is not just greater efficiency but greater innovation.

AI is poised to follow this same trajectory. As it becomes more abundant, it won’t just accelerate what we’re already doing. It will transform how we work, learn, and create, opening the door to possibilities we can’t yet fully imagine.

The shift from scarcity to abundance isn’t the end of the story. It’s where the story begins.