Why Tech Bros Are Now Obsessed with Taste (www.newyorker.com)

Silicon Valley is experiencing a newfound obsession with the concept of "taste" as AI continues to shape corporate strategies and product development. Influential figures like Paul Graham and Koen Bok are emphasizing that discerning taste will play a crucial role in creating successful AI products, with startups needing to leverage taste as a competitive advantage in an increasingly automated landscape. This pivot reflects a broader sentiment that, as AI democratizes access to technology, the ability to make insightful, tasteful decisions will become paramount, paralleling the sentiment that successful venture capital investments may be one of the last realms requiring human judgment. However, this fixation on taste also carries a layer of irony, particularly as AI technologies, often viewed skeptically by the public, strive to associate themselves with artisanal values reminiscent of previous cultural trends. The term "taste-washing" emerges to describe this phenomenon, where AI companies attempt to package their products as humanistic and individualistic, despite concerns over the technology's broader implications. The article underscores that, despite efforts to brand AI as a refined and cultured tool, fundamental qualities like emotional perception remain absent from these systems, complicating the narrative around taste and technology as they navigate an uncertain future.