Taste is the talent of the future
The Case for Cultivating Taste and Discernment in the Age of Artificial Everything
One of the most common questions I hear asked by people trying to make friends is:
“What type of music do you listen to?”
Or something along that line.
It’s a simple question and there really is no need to look deep into it, unless you’re some deranged wannabe philosopher trying to squeeze meaning from even the most mundane human interaction.
But let me be that guy, just this one time.
Now personally, I love that question because I love music.
From the more obvious things like lyrics and bass, to the more nuanced aspects of it, like backstories, that hi-hat subtly panned to the left, or even the fact that the vocals are slightly off tune.
I love music. And in turn, I appreciate it when the topic is brought up.
More often than not, I spiral into a yap session.
Sometimes I’m able to catch myself before I reach the cliff’s edge.
Other times I get exhausted and, as I take a breather, realize I was talking to a brick wall the whole time.
I digress.
The reason why people ask about music is because of what it indicates about a human being.
It is one of the easiest ways to tell someone’s taste.
From my experience, the more niche a person’s music preferences, the more refined their taste is in one or more subject matters.
That is, I would rather trust an architect who listens to Pink Floyd, Tame Impala, and Bob Marley than one who listens solely to Drake.
Music is the litmus test for taste.
But what even is taste?
“Taste is the faculty of judging an object or a method of representing it by an entirely disinterested satisfaction or dissatisfaction.” Immanuel Kant (Critique of Judgment, 1790)
Kant argued that taste isn’t purely personal. It pretends to universality.
When you say “this song is beautiful,” you're not just stating a preference… you're implying others should agree.
Taste is cultivated over a long period of time. It’s a muscle that must be exercised, and a mind that must be taught.
People who are more traveled, well-read, and open to new experiences, while at the same time being more conservative and highly discerning, often have very well-curated tastes.
One great example would be Johnny Ive. The man behind Apple’s design language.
They didn’t pay him millions of dollars for the math or the engineering behind the designs. They paid him for his taste.
Same goes for Yves Saint Laurent. Christian Dior. Ye (Kanye West). And countless others.
The one thing that sets them apart is how they see things.
A genius is someone who can hit a target no one else can.
But talent can hit a target no one else knew existed.
{And now, yes, of course, I segue into AI.}
With AI models now running around artists and chasing after cinematographers, programmers, etc etc… talent is no longer the moat it used to be.
Talentless 16-year-olds are vibe-coding apps that land multi-million dollar valuations in just months. Anyone with a phone can create art.
But here’s the thing:
AI, with all its power, doesn’t have taste.
And if you don’t either, then it’s game over.
Because you stand no chance of creating something new, something truly meaningful—if you take the first thing the AI gives you and run with it.
If you can’t discern AI slop from genuine, great content.
And I’ve seen this so often, especially in writing. Everyone sounds the same on social media.
Same clichés. Same words. Same robotic jabs at philosophy.
And they don’t see an issue with it. That’s why they posted it in the first place.
They lack taste. They lack discernment.
They can’t tell what’s good or bad.
And the worst part?
With the continuous use of AI for everyday tasks, even decorating living spaces, for crying out loud, the mid will just continue.
We’re living through an aesthetic apocalypse.
(The album cover for Yeezus, 2013 by Kanye West)
So what can you do about it?
Start curating. Relentlessly.
Train your eye like a designer. Your ear like a composer. Your mind like a monk.
Stop with the self-help and expand your knowledge horizon. If you can’t travel physically, at least do it mentally.
Read more sci-fi, religious texts, philosophy, and post-war memoranda.
Don’t just consume, study.
Listen to more music. If you told me one year ago that I would be intentionally listening to jazz, I wouldn't believe you, but here I am.
And try…try to get better at even the most mundane tasks in your life.
Taste isn’t a gift. It’s a practice.
A war against the algorithm.
A refusal to let your brain rot into a landfill of trends, shortcuts, and dopamine loops.
In the age of Artificial Intelligence, your edge is not output.
It’s discernment.
And if you sharpen it, you won’t just survive the apocalypse.
You’ll outlast the robots.
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