AI & Tech
Automation S-Curve with Long Tail
Automation follows an S-curve trajectory: early-stage processes that are easy to standardize are rapidly replaced by machines at low cost, followed by a plateau phase where marginal returns on investment diminish, and finally a long tail phase involving the hardest 10% of tasks. This tail requires integrated AI perception and physical execution, causing costs to spike dramatically—but once overcome, it fundamentally reshapes the entire industry value chain.
Read the daily articles behind this idea on the Chinese edition.