In an AI-driven world, taste is the ultimate currency
It's no longer about generating ideas; it's about knowing which ideas deserve attention and why.
This story is part of AI’M SCARED, a series in which we explore the impact – good and bad – of AI on fashion and the creative industries. Read more on the topic here: Digital models are fashion's latest nightmare.
AI can design, write, compose, and code at scale. It’s now easy – frighteningly so – to make things. But the easier it gets, the noisier things become, and navigating that noise, curating meaning, elevating the best, and rejecting the rest is a human job. The ability to say, “This is the one that matters” is taste. And that will become the most valuable decision-making skill of our time.
Taste, that elusive mix of discernment, instinct, and context, may soon outrank intelligence, speed, or even creativity in our AI-augmented future. Because in a world where machines can generate anything, the question will no longer be what is possible but what is worth doing.
AI is a mirror, not a compass
We used to live in a world where the hardest part was making something: writing code, designing covers, composing music. Now, those barriers are collapsing. AI doesn’t just help; it executes faster than humans ever could. But it still lacks the why; it cannot decide where or why to begin or what to pursue next. It reflects what's been done before; it’s a mirror, never a compass.
And in a world full of mirrors, someone with a strong sense of direction, a North Star, is invaluable. That North Star is taste. Editors, creative directors, founders, and curators: their role is no longer about endless idea generation. It's about knowing which ideas deserve attention and why. AI offers infinite possibilities, but only human taste can determine what's truly worth pursuing.
What is taste, really?
Taste isn’t just an opinion. It's a skill built through exposure, study, critical thinking, and lived experience. It’s cultural fluency, emotional intelligence, historical awareness, and a sensitivity to quality that isn’t always easy to explain. Most people think they have it; few genuinely do. Think of taste as a mix of three overlapping abilities: