Pascual Restrepo on Bottleneck Work vs Supplementary Work

Discussion

Suyeon Kim, summarizing Pascual Restrepo:

"Professor Restrepo categorizes the multitude of tasks that comprise economic activity into two fundamental types. “Bottleneck work” refers to critical infrastructure—core tasks that must function together for the broader system to operate. This kind of work has an interdependent structure in that economic activity as a whole grinds to a halt if even one bottleneck fails. In contrast, “supplementary work” occupies a complementary rather than foundational tier. The system operates without it, although its presence enhances quality of life and societal diversity. This distinction shapes automation priorities. For economies to grow, the first thing that needs to improve is bottleneck efficiency. As computational resources expand, societies will increasingly delegate their most critical functions to AI systems. This includes energy generation, infrastructure maintenance, and scientific research. Supplementary work—the performing arts, design, or counseling services—is more likely to remain in human hands since it is not essential for growth. The critical constraint is that wages in these domains face a structural ceiling. Even where human labor remains necessary, its economic value cannot exceed the cost of replacing it with AI."

(Source: Taejae Future Consensus Institute <World Research Trend>, Vol.42 I 2025-11-21)