I have two to share today. Both are from Marginal Revolution originally—one from Tyler and one from Alex. My (weak) connection is that our first instinct when it comes to fungus is repulsion. Yet fungi are vital parts of life on Earth with benefits sometimes obvious (mushrooms can be tasty and nutritious) and sometimes hidden (AI seems to be propagating as would a fungal growth within our larger systems).
Of course, Fungi also can be deadly—some mushrooms will kill you dead and AI has analogous risks.
I.
You would be surprised to learn that almost 69% of the US mushroom production occurs in the borough of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. It is a small town of about 6000 people, but mushroom-growing facilities around town produce almost 451 million pounds of mushrooms annually (2024). 451 million pounds of mushrooms would occupy about 45 American football fields or 35 soccer fields. The dollar value of mushroom production in the US is roughly $ 1 billion per year.
China is the undisputed leader in mushroom production. China accounts for 93% of the world’s global mushroom production.
That is from Software is Feeding the World’s post “The case of missing American mushrooms”. The missing-American-mushroom angle centers on how immigration restrictions are introducing major supply-side problems.
II.
Imagine I told you that AI was going to create a 40% unemployment rate. Sounds bad, right? Catastrophic even. Now imagine I told you that AI was going to create a 3-day working week. Sounds great, right? Wonderful even. Yet to a first approximation these are the same thing. 60% of people employed and 40% unemployed is the same number of working hours as 100% employed at 60% of the hours.
…
Nor is this argument purely theoretical. Between 1870 and today, hours of work in the United States fell by about 40% — from nearly 3,000 hours per year to about 1,800. Hours fells but unemployment did not increase. Moreover, not only did work hours fall, but childhood, retirement, and life expectancy all increased.
That is directly from Alex Tabarrok at MR. The implied lesson is that AI-caused job loss, while likely disruptive and painful in the short term, would be greatly beneficial in the long run (for everyone) if history is any guide.
Consider both stat links food for thought.
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