As artificial intelligence (AI) lifts productivity across the economy, an analysis has been raised that the cost of humans verifying AI outputs could emerge as a new economic bottleneck.

On March 11 local time, blockchain outlet CoinPost reported that a paper published in February 2026 by MIT economist Christian Catalini (크리스티안 카탈리니) and others, “Some Simple Economics of AGI,” analysed the relationship between AI and the economic structure and presented the concept of “verification cost” as a key variable.

The paper said AI can lower computing and execution costs to near zero, but the process of humans checking and verifying AI-generated results is difficult to reduce significantly because of biological limits. It said this asymmetric structure could create new constraints in the economic system.

The researchers defined this gap as a “measurability gap.” They said it could become a key bottleneck for economic growth during the transition to artificial general intelligence (AGI), when AI performs most measurable labour beyond human cognitive ability.

The paper warned that if the issue is not resolved, a “hollow economy” could emerge, in which production increases but human control weakens.

The researchers presented the need to build verification infrastructure, including “cryptographic provenance,” as a way to address the issue. They said a system is needed to technically prove and trace the origins of information and actions generated by AI.

This passage drew interest from the cryptocurrency industry. JP Richardson (JP 리처드슨), co-founder of cryptocurrency wallet service Exodus, claimed on his X account, formerly Twitter, that “this paper explains why every bank that fights crypto ultimately loses.”

He said that in an environment where AI agents autonomously conduct economic activity, a responsibility allocation system is needed based on tamper-proof ledgers and smart contracts, and that blockchain technology could become core infrastructure.

The paper, however, does not directly support cryptocurrencies or any specific technology. The researchers did not specify concrete technologies for implementing “verifiable provenance proof.”

Some experts point out that blockchain could be one candidate technology to solve the problem, but practical challenges remain, including scalability, costs and regulatory responses.

Even so, the move by industry figures to broaden the discussion based on academic research is seen as a meaningful change. An analysis says it shows that debate over the legitimacy of cryptocurrencies is shifting beyond a simple technology discussion to a perspective focused on changes in the economic structure.