Productivity and efficiency are critical components of any organization hoping to best utilize resources and generate the most effective results. While they are often confused, the two together can produce higher margins and increased profits for businesses or better results from designated resources for public institutions. Automation is the latest practice for advancing both productivity and efficiency. Yet, when productivity and efficiency have been pushed to extreme levels, they have created the possibility for social disruptions and even catastrophic failure. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) is moving these twin economic attributes past their historical models of linear change to mind-boggling levels of exponential change. A different mindset will be required for humans to assimilate into the accelerated pace of change.