Taste in the Age of AI: What Makes a Human Designer Irreplaceable?

This one’s different. I bring you into a thought experiment where I sit down with four cultural giants—David Hume, Pierre Bourdieu, Susan Sontag, and Dave Hickey—in a fictional panel, debating one question: What is taste, and does it still matter in a world of AI?

It started on a train ride with my husband. A discussion about AI turned into a deep dive into aesthetics, class, judgement, and the soul of creativity. What unfolded is part role-play, part philosophical roundtable, and very much a love letter to the part of us that still knows how to choose.

We explore:

• Why taste isn’t about preference—it’s about public risk
  
  
• What makes a designer irreplaceable
  
  
• How taste can be an act of rebellion in an algorithm-driven world
  
  
• And the line that every guest agreed on (after much debate)
  
  

If you’re a creator, designer, thinker, or just someone who wants to believe that beauty still matters…this episode is for you

 

SOUNDBITES:

 

“In a world generating so much, where everything is starting to look good, taste is what will make the difference.” Ivy

“Safe taste is decoration. Real taste is vulnerable.” 

“A designer with taste does not just know what looks good, they know what is appropriate, what is resonant, what is timely.” fictional David Hume

 

“The problem isn’t that AI is replacing designers. The problem is that the market has reduced design to deliverables.” fictional Bourdieiu

“Taste is the last place where instinct and identity meet.” fictional David Hickey

About Ivy:
Ivy Malik helps creatives and coaches step into premium pricing, high-value sales, and effortless business growth. All without overworking, undercharging, or second-guessing their worth. With 19+ years of business experience, she combines pricing psychology, sales strategy, and intuitive coaching to help her clients raise their rates, attract premium clients, and scale with confidence. Through Ivy Malik Coaching, she teaches entrepreneurs how to sell with ease, align their business with their energy, and multiply their revenue without force or burnout

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