About the Institute

The Recursive Displacement Research Institute (RDRI) produces rigorous, falsifiable research on the systemic mechanisms by which artificial intelligence restructures labor, capital, and institutional power. Our work examines what happens when human economic participation is no longer structurally required — and what can be done about it.

Founded by Tyler Maddox, the institute operates at the intersection of economics, technology, and governance. Our research is driven by a commitment to making the dynamics of the current AI transition legible — giving them names so they can be seen, debated, and where necessary, resisted.

The Theory of Recursive Displacement

At the core of our work is the Theory of Recursive Displacement — a unified theoretical framework for understanding the transition from a labor-centric economy to one dominated by automated systems. The theory identifies causal mechanisms, specifies temporal sequences, catalogs possible endpoints, and proposes a policy framework for intervention.

Every claim in the theory is tied to a falsification condition. Every mechanism is independently testable. The goal is not to predict the future with certainty, but to make it legible.

Our Research

The institute has produced over forty essays examining distinct facets of recursive displacement — from AI-driven labor market disruption and autonomous coercion to the economics of post-labor governance and the structural dynamics of compute feudalism. Each essay is grounded in evidence, classified by epistemic status, and designed to be independently verifiable.