Curation is King

AI tools are everywhere now. They can write, design, code, and create at speeds that seemed impossible a few years ago. But there's a trap many people fall into: treating AI output as finished work rather than raw material.

The ability to generate isn't the same as the ability to create. Real craft lies in curation—knowing what to keep, what to refine, and what to throw away.

The problem with acceptance

AI is optimized to give you something. It's trained to be helpful, to provide an answer, to generate content. But "something" isn't the same as "the right thing." Without critical judgment, you end up with work that's technically competent but fundamentally mediocre.

I see this constantly: websites with AI-generated copy that says nothing, designs with AI-suggested layouts that feel generic, code that works but makes no sense six months later. The tool did its job, but no one asked if the output was actually good.

Taste matters more now

AI has democratized production, but it hasn't democratized taste. Anyone can generate a logo, write an article, or create an illustration. The differentiator is knowing whether it's any good—and having the judgment to make it better.

This is where human expertise becomes more valuable, not less. The person who can prompt well, evaluate critically, and iterate toward something excellent will always outperform someone who accepts the first output.

The iterative process

Good work with AI isn't "prompt, copy, done." It's prompt, evaluate, refine, prompt again, combine, edit, and keep going until you have something that meets your standard. The AI is a collaborator, not a replacement for judgment.

Think of it like photography before digital editing. A good photographer doesn't just take one shot and call it finished. They take hundreds, choose the best, then refine it. AI is the same—it gives you options, but you still need to be the editor.

When to say no

Sometimes the answer is to ignore AI output entirely. If it's pulling you away from what you actually wanted, if it's adding complexity instead of clarity, if it's making your work sound like everyone else's—throw it out and start over.

The best use of AI is often as a thinking partner, not a production tool. Use it to explore ideas, challenge assumptions, generate alternatives. But don't mistake its fluency for wisdom or its speed for quality.

Curation as craft

In a world where everyone has access to the same tools, the real skill is curation. What do you choose to make? Which of the hundred options do you pursue? When do you override the algorithm's suggestion because you know better?

AI makes it easier to create, but it doesn't make it easier to create something worth keeping. That still requires taste, judgment, and the discipline to hold your work to a higher standard than "good enough."

Curation is king. The tools get better, but that part is still up to you.