AI and the Art of Curation: The Answer Isn’t the End
We don’t need more content. We need more judgment. More synthesis. More curation.
The other day, while on a bike ride, I stumbled across an episode of The Ben & Marc Show featuring Rick Rubin. What started as a conversation about code and creativity turned into something that felt like it was articulating what I’ve been thinking for months.
“So many people I know who use AI ask it questions and think that the results they get back is the answer. And it seems like people are more interested in getting an answer that can allow them to stop thinking about the question than really finding out what the real answer is.”
— Rick Rubin, The Ben & Marc Show, May 30, 2025
That struck me.
Because in so many ways, generative AI has changed how we relate to knowledge. The model returns a fluent, confident response, and we feel like the work is done. But the deeper opportunity — the one Rick hints at — is not just getting an answer. It’s learning to live in the question longer.
What we’re witnessing isn’t just a shift in tools — it’s a shift in posture.
The Shift: From Answer-Seeking to Meaning-Making
In the age of AI, the people who will stand out aren’t the ones who get the most answers the fastest. It’s the ones who know what to do after the answer appears.
We don’t need more content. We need more judgment. More synthesis. More curation.
That’s the role of the human now: to discern, to reframe, to elevate.
AI gives you the first draft.
You bring the final cut.
Three Principles for Creative Work in the AI Era
Don’t Confuse Output with Insight
Just because something sounds polished doesn’t mean it’s true or useful. AI can simulate coherence, but not context. That’s your job.Iteration Is Intelligence
The first thing AI gives you is rarely the best thing. Real creativity happens in the refinement. In asking better follow-ups. In evolving the prompt.Truth Emerges from Tension
The tension between AI’s suggestions and your human intuition is the new creative arena. That’s where originality lives.
From Vibe Coding to Product Thinking
Rick Rubin didn’t invent the term Vibe Coding — it was already floating around online, a loosely defined cultural meme suggesting a more intuitive, expressive approach to writing software. But when someone posted an image of Rick behind a laptop with the caption “vibe coding,” it struck a nerve.
He reposted it. The tweet more than doubled his typical engagement. And instead of treating that moment as a joke or a throwaway, Rick got curious. He leaned in. Within ten weeks, he had written The Way of Code — a book inspired by the Tao Te Ching that explores how to approach code the way an artist approaches a canvas: emotionally, instinctively, and playfully.
That’s not just a story about virality — it’s a masterclass in creative curiosity. It shows what happens when someone listens to culture, feels the pulse, and expands on it, not by explaining it away but by going deeper.
That instinct — to follow a spark and turn it into a signal — is the same one we need when building with AI.
Because here’s the truth: we’re not building tools to give us the final answer.
We’re building tools that help us stay in the question longer. Tools that help us reveal better versions of ourselves. Tools that make the invisible process of thinking and feeling more tangible, more testable, and maybe even more teachable.
The Takeaway
AI isn't the end of creativity — it's the beginning of a new kind.
But only if we treat the answers not as endings… but as invitations to dig deeper, stay curious, and keep shaping the vibe.