In response to Saturday’s put up on quantum considering, PSR, who’s essentially the most frequent commentator within the historical past of this weblog, wrote:

OK, these are forming up properly into coherent statements which have a sure constant symmetry between them. Studying them makes concepts bounce out of your head. Properly, mine anyway. Listed below are two:

1. The Henry Ford Query: Arguably, with out labour, no output will be consumed. How will modern economics clear up that in an equitable, sustainable approach?

2. The Mark Carney Query: If AI is making folks lose their jobs, and the financial savings from the price of labour banked by capital/the producer, how are the societal results of this loss being recorded and accommodated (acknowledged) within the accounts, and what actions will consequence?

PSR’s remark and questions did three issues for me.

Firstly, I used to be happy that my work provoked a response. Anyone who writes needs to do this.

Secondly, I did, after all, need to reply the questions, however throughout a lot of the weekend, it was onerous to search out time.

Thirdly, it made me surprise what would occur if comparable questions have been to be requested of different political economists, difficult the core of their considering. I even puzzled whether or not the concept could be prolonged to politicians themselves.

I put the concept apart at first, however returned to it later yesterday because the rain stopped different play.

I spent a while enjoying with the concept as a result of it occurred to me that this was, as soon as once more, a scenario the place AI may assist hone a really exact query about what the essence of an individual’s considering could be and the way that might then be contextualised. Taking part in round with that concept took some time till I got here up with a construction that I used to be pleased with, though, as common, I discovered that the whole lot wants an edit and refinement when it comes out of AI.

The result’s a put up, following this one, on Henry Ford, and what the implications of his considering on employees’ pay could be now.

One other one will comply with on Mark Carney, based mostly not on his time as a central banker, however on his questions on useful resource allocation.

Another very apparent candidates will comply with, together with characters whose names will seem in my historical past of financial thought, once I do finally get round to ending this to a stage the place I need to share it.

What was, nevertheless, amusing was that attempt as it would, ChatGPT appeared unable to determine any physique of thought that could be related to Keir Starmer or Rachel Reeves: it solely appeared capable of finding critiques of their politics in observe. That, although, could be a subject for one more theme, however I will keep on with this one on political economic system to begin with.

Recommendations are welcome. There are already a dozen or so on my record, not all of them manifestly apparent, I’ve to confess.