Creating, Copying, and Remixing in the Age of AI

3 hours ago

AI enables non-coders to quickly launch functional websites, as demonstrated by the author's creation of two sites in a weekend using AI-generated code.
The ease of creation leads to low-quality output, similar to the decline in book quality after self-publishing became easy, with many apps becoming vaporware or abandonware.
Discovery becomes harder as the number of apps and sites explodes, echoing the problem of too many TV channels but nothing worth watching, which was solved by quality aggregators and personalized recommendations.
AI makes copying existing apps trivial, undermining the moat of software complexity; successful businesses now rely on branding, network effects, or scale efficiencies, like Calendly.
Rapid AI improvements create deflationary pressure on the value of time, incentivizing delay; but building now is still advised due to first-mover advantage, the joy of creation, and the finite nature of life.
Human collaboration, like working with a designer, is becoming a luxury as AI offers faster and cheaper alternatives for small firms and solopreneurs.

Intelligence is spiky, with AI capable of understanding things humans cannot due to its organization, scale, and tacit knowledge.
Quantity and speed of AI thinking can add new value even in domains where problems seem solved, as seen with fast, multiple code reviews by AI.
Awareness of AI capabilities is uneven across corporations, creating a challenge where users of AI can route around slower, non-adopting workers.

The restaurant owner replaced human chefs with machines, turning cooks into inventors who design new dishes machines cannot yet make, leading to a three-year waiting list and emphasizing creativity over traditional cooking.
Wayne Gretzky’s advice to 'skate to where the puck is going' is often misinterpreted; his skill in skating itself was the key, not just prediction, especially as AI pucks change direction unpredictably.
AI evolves rapidly, making predictions difficult (e.g., RAG systems becoming obsolete overnight), contrasting with slower tech shifts in the past like mobile's steady rise.

AI adoption has led to increased work intensity and multitasking, not reduced workloads.
People often use time saved by AI to take on new tasks, leading to crowded schedules and reduced focused work.
"AI brain fry" describes a state where mental effort declines, with brain connectivity dropping by up to 55% when using AI tools.

The author initially doubted AI's coding abilities, treating it like Stack Overflow and manually reviewing code to maintain personal style.
Claude Code demonstrated AI's ability to handle maintenance tasks and reduce the need to learn specific frameworks like Laravel.
Newer AI models (e.g., Fable, GPT 5.6-Sol) now outperform the author in 80% of coding tasks, leading to acceptance and excitement about productivity gains.

Startups older than two years likely have obsolete business plans due to rapid changes in AI and markets.
Venture capital has shifted heavily toward AI, making it harder for non-AI startups to raise funds.
AI development tools enable building MVPs in days, reducing the need for large engineering teams and challenging old assumptions about cost and speed.

Intelligence is spiky, with AI capable of understanding things humans cannot due to its organization, scale, and tacit knowledge.
Quantity and speed of AI thinking can add new value even in domains where problems seem solved, as seen with fast, multiple code reviews by AI.
Awareness of AI capabilities is uneven across corporations, creating a challenge where users of AI can route around slower, non-adopting workers.

The restaurant owner replaced human chefs with machines, turning cooks into inventors who design new dishes machines cannot yet make, leading to a three-year waiting list and emphasizing creativity over traditional cooking.
Wayne Gretzky’s advice to 'skate to where the puck is going' is often misinterpreted; his skill in skating itself was the key, not just prediction, especially as AI pucks change direction unpredictably.
AI evolves rapidly, making predictions difficult (e.g., RAG systems becoming obsolete overnight), contrasting with slower tech shifts in the past like mobile's steady rise.

AI adoption has led to increased work intensity and multitasking, not reduced workloads.
People often use time saved by AI to take on new tasks, leading to crowded schedules and reduced focused work.
"AI brain fry" describes a state where mental effort declines, with brain connectivity dropping by up to 55% when using AI tools.

The author initially doubted AI's coding abilities, treating it like Stack Overflow and manually reviewing code to maintain personal style.
Claude Code demonstrated AI's ability to handle maintenance tasks and reduce the need to learn specific frameworks like Laravel.
Newer AI models (e.g., Fable, GPT 5.6-Sol) now outperform the author in 80% of coding tasks, leading to acceptance and excitement about productivity gains.

Startups older than two years likely have obsolete business plans due to rapid changes in AI and markets.
Venture capital has shifted heavily toward AI, making it harder for non-AI startups to raise funds.
AI development tools enable building MVPs in days, reducing the need for large engineering teams and challenging old assumptions about cost and speed.

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