The marketing industry faces ongoing concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) potentially displacing jobs, yet a 19th-century economic concept known as the Jevons paradox suggests this fear may be unwarranted. In an analysis published on December 26, 2025, Box CEO Aaron Levie posits that efficiency gains from AI could lead to a greater demand for marketing work rather than a reduction in jobs. Levie states, “We’re ultimately going to be doing far more,” emphasizing that the majority of future AI applications will involve tasks that are currently unperformed by human workers.
William Stanley Jevons first articulated this paradox in 1865, noting that improvements in coal efficiency during the Industrial Revolution led to increased overall consumption, as the technology facilitated new industrial applications. Similarly, the history of computing shows that advancements have consistently led to greater demand. Mainframe computers were limited to a few hundred units, while personal computers expanded that number into the millions. Each technological era has seen a hundredfold increase in computing units over about three decades.
The advent of cloud computing further democratized access to technology. Business tools that were once the exclusive domain of Fortune 500 companies became available to small enterprises. Marketing automation, customer relationship management, and analytics tools have made it easier for smaller businesses to engage in sophisticated marketing efforts. Levie highlights that AI agents are now extending this democratization to non-deterministic knowledge work, transforming the landscape of marketing.
A report from IAB Europe in July 2025 noted that companies adopting AI early experienced up to a 3.1 percentage-point increase in annual worker productivity growth, with widespread AI deployment projected to boost euro-area productivity by 1.5 percentage points annually. Notably, GroupM indicated that 70% of its advertising revenue utilizes AI technologies, with predictions suggesting that number will climb to 94% by 2027. AI is streamlining processes like campaign optimization and creative generation, as seen with Google’s Performance Max campaigns, which automate many aspects of advertising.
Levie argues that AI fundamentally alters business dynamics by lowering the cost of experimentation, allowing small teams to manage multiple aspects of marketing without severe resource constraints. “Every entrepreneur, business owner, or anyone involved in a budget planning process before knows how scarce resources are when running a business,” he remarks. With AI, businesses can access capabilities previously reserved for much larger organizations.
This shift presents significant opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises. Meta’s generative AI tools have reached over 4 million users, enabling smaller advertisers to access sophisticated marketing capabilities. Meta also reported cutting digital signal processing task time by 75% through automated creative processes, leveling the competitive playing field for companies without advanced marketing teams.
The central question remains whether these technological advancements will translate into job losses. Levie asserts that while AI can automate certain tasks, human oversight and management are still crucial. “AI agents require management, oversight, and substantial context to get the full gains,” he explains. Even as AI takes on more responsibilities, the expectations for what workers must accomplish evolve, leading to new job definitions rather than outright job loss.
Historical trends support this notion. Marketing employment in the United States grew from a few hundred thousand roles in the 1970s to several million today, despite technological advancements that have made marketing tasks more efficient. This growth occurred because technology enabled a broader range of companies to invest in marketing, which was once dominated by large corporations.
The Jevons paradox operates through several mechanisms. First, improved efficiency lowers resource costs, increasing demand. Second, such gains elevate real incomes and accelerate economic growth, further boosting demand. Lastly, new, economically viable applications emerge as tasks become cheaper to undertake. For marketing, this means account managers are expected to handle many more clients due to automation, with research indicating an increase in portfolio sizes by 83% enabled by these efficiencies.
According to McKinsey’s Technology Trends Outlook 2025, agentic AI is the most significant emerging trend transforming marketing strategies. Reports indicate that 88% of early adopter organizations implementing AI agents achieved positive ROI, illustrating the potential for expanded use in marketing operations. However, questions remain about the extent to which the Jevons paradox will apply to marketing employment, particularly given that different factors influence elasticity of demand across various sectors.
The industry appears at a crossroads similar to the early cloud computing era, where efficiency improvements drastically reduce costs and increase accessibility. Unlike previous eras that focused on deterministic processes, the current wave of innovation aims to enhance creative and strategic work. The outcome will ultimately determine whether the Jevons paradox aligns with modern knowledge work or if new economic trends emerge.
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