If You Want Taste, You're Gonna Have to Eat

2026-07-05 · Source: Jason Liu · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Emerging Technologies & Innovation · Depth: Fundamental Awareness, medium

Summary

The article "If You Want Taste, You're Gonna Have to Eat" explores the concept of taste, defining it as the ability to model what people will like and a form of risk-taking that deviates from the average. It argues that with the rise of AI, which makes "ability" (creation) virtually free, the critical bottleneck has shifted from making things to developing genuine taste. The author contrasts this with traditional art school, where taste often exceeded ability. To cultivate taste, the essay advocates for active, immersive "eating"—experiencing things widely, like trying on clothes or dining out, rather than passive consumption. Key practices include developing a personal vocabulary for aesthetic judgment, "transcribing" experiences by deeply noticing details, "wandering" without direct guidance, and understanding "authorship" by recognizing the decisions behind every object. The piece concludes that true taste involves curiosity and the courage to appreciate what genuinely resonates, even if it's not mainstream, emphasizing that attention must be intentionally cultivated in an age where tools often remove it.

Key takeaway

For creative professionals and AI product managers aiming to differentiate in an an AI-saturated market, you must actively cultivate your taste beyond mere consumption. Instead of relying on algorithms for content, intentionally engage with the "friction" of experience—deeply explore art, music, and fashion, understand their origins, and identify what genuinely resonates with you. This deliberate practice of "eating slowly" will sharpen your aesthetic judgment and enable you to make more impactful, non-average creative decisions.

Key insights

In the AI era, genuine taste, defined as discerning judgment and courageous deviation, is the new bottleneck, not creative ability.

Principles

• Taste is risk-taking, not consensus.
• Ability is free; attention is not.
• Every object is a pile of decisions.

Method

Cultivate taste by "eating widely": deeply experiencing, noticing details, asking "why," and recording observations. Engage with the "friction" of consumption to build relationships with creators and their work.

In practice

• Try on clothes without buying to learn fit.
• Listen to full albums, research musicians.
• Wander without navigation apps to notice surroundings.

Topics

• AI Creativity
• Aesthetic Judgment
• Taste Development
• Conscious Consumption
• Personal Style
• Authorship
• Attention Economy

Best for: AI Product Manager, Creative Technologist, AI Ethicist

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Jason Liu.