the transition of value: longevity in the age of the instant

In the age of AI where any image can be created, or anything can be written, or video can be created with a prompt... we no longer see value in the work, so where does value reside now?

This is perhaps one of the defining questions of our time. When AI can generate anything on demand, such as images, text and video, the value of creation shifts away from mere production and toward curation, vision, experience, and context.

Here are some places where value now resides…

When everything can be created, the challenge is “what is worth seeing?”. Having the ability to sift through infinite possibilities and curate meaning becomes more valuable than raw creation. People increasingly value what is real—not in the sense of "not AI-generated," but in the sense of "intentional."

AI executes, but it does not originate (at least not yet) in the way that a human mind with lived experiences does. The most valuable work will be deeply conceptual—ideas that push boundaries rather than just being aesthetically pleasing or producing rapid outputs

The weight of a work depends on who presents it and why it matters in a particular moment. Value comes from positioning within culture, communities, and conversations, not just from the artifact itself. Perhaps we’ll see a shift toward experiential, live, and participatory work rather than static media.

AI removes old limitations, but it also demands new forms of creative work. Artists (in a general term, Creators, Designers, etc) who learn to work with AI in novel ways by combining human unpredictability with AI’s infinite possibilities will likely create the most compelling work.

“What is valuable when anything can be generated?” but “Who is shaping meaning, and how?”

In an age where AI can generate limitless content on demand—images, essays, videos, voices—the act of creating has been fundamentally altered. The scarcity of production has evaporated. The floodgates are open.

So value is no longer in the thing itself. It’s in what the thing does. Who made it. Why they made it. What it means in this moment.

The people who shape meaning now are those who can orchestrate context. Context is the new canvas; and in this way, meaning is a function of context.

Cultural weight isn’t just about craft. It’s about intent, timing, and position.

We’re not living in a content economy anymore.
We’re living in a meaning economy.

In this new landscape, Virality is easy while longevity is hard. Volume is cheap, but vision is rare. Creation is fast and meaning takes time.

Therefore; the real question is no longer, “What is valuable when anything can be generated?”  It is “Who is shaping meaning—and how?”

Those who are now shaping meaning, be they marketers, creators, designers, artists, etc, must become curators, translators and worldbuilders.

They must curate the meaningful from the infinite. 

They must translate between systems, aesthetics and subcultures. 

They must become worldbuilders who create the frameworks where meaning can live, grow and evolve.