The eternal complement
A new essay argues that artificial intelligence may deliver its greatest value by handling routine, large-scale tasks that enable human ingenuity to focus on breakthrough insights rather than execution.
Human knowledge has expanded dramatically, yet our physical reach remains confined to Earth. While our minds explore distant galaxies, our bodies have barely left the Moon. This mismatch suggests two possibilities: either deeper reasoning can unlock cosmic truths without physical expansion, or our execution capacity has failed to keep pace with our ambitions. The James Webb Space Telescope exemplifies the latter, requiring a global coalition of 300 organizations across 14 countries and a $10 billion investment to achieve what a few dozen hands accomplished centuries ago.
Research productivity has declined sharply despite exponential increases in resources. A study by Nick Bloom and colleagues found that sustaining Moore’s law now demands 18 times more researchers than in the 1970s, while research productivity has fallen 41-fold. The technician workforce has grown twice as fast as scientists, and specialized equipment use has doubled over four decades. These trends reveal a rising cost to progress, where vast increases in effort compensate for diminishing returns.
Economists describe two inputs as complements when more of one increases the value of the other. Frontier intelligence and execution capacity function as such complements: better tools elevate the value of questions, and better questions elevate the value of tools. This dynamic applies across fields, from particle accelerators to technological designs, where ideas require institutional support to materialize. Institutional intelligence—often overlooked—lays the foundation for breakthroughs by managing bureaucracy, funding, and supply chains.
AI is poised to address the execution bottleneck by automating routine tasks like coding, literature review, and prototyping. This shift could democratize innovation, allowing individuals to pursue ambitious projects previously reserved for large organizations. While human brilliance remains essential, AI may serve as the support staff that turns vision into reality, potentially redefining how progress is achieved in the intelligence age.