I saw something about cohorts and AI usage and it got this whole idea stuck in my head so I decided to write it out and maybe it’s enough to make you think about how you feel about AI content itself and where it brings entertainment and value to you.

Now that the “AI boom” has started to plateau and mature I see two broad cohorts of people when it comes to ingesting media and services. These are the consumers, not the creators.

The Cohorts of Consumption

The first are those who like that they can get custom generated content tuned more or less to their preference quickly and almost constantly. The output has mechanical flaws and repetitive nature but you don’t have to sit with it too long because you can have the next in moments.

The second are those who want a craftsmanship to their content. It has a variance of the creators styles, quirks, and mood. These also grows and change between pieces as the artist develops, The output generally has less flaws and the ones they have are organic feeling. Things created by people take much more time, so have more time with each piece before the next.

What Makes Them Tick

The first cohort feels more pragmatic. There is a focus on getting output cheaply and efficiently. It seems like the group that seeks novelty and quick wins that they can build up into an larger experience that can satisfy them. We know this is a cohort that you can sell to in bulk because they want the next thing, now, and cheap. I see a likening to fast fashion and cheap and quick buy me fads. Arguably peak consumerism content and a market easy to feed.

The second feels more romantic. It’s quality over the quantity. There is a joy in the artistic nature of it all. The output of people has it’s own flaws but the variances we get are worth it. People trying to develop a skill and improve in their abilities fit into this themselves usually, as they are both consumers and creators. These are the people who are willing to put out a premium to get what they perceive is a premium product, especially when you consider people who commission works. Having something bulk made cheaply isn’t going to appease these people, they want to feel quality and possibly some unique value.

There is technically a third cohort I lump into the second. People who are more into defense of tradesmanship and artistry. They may not care as much about the output but they do care about how output is created for various economical and humane reasons. These are the people who spend with their heart, and generally at a premium.

Who ‘Wins’?

I believe one major factor is that the first group still needs novelty, if the system can’t improve at an acceptable clip they may bore of it, and the ’look’ of AI will become as dated as NFT monkeys.

The size of the various cohorts is the biggest factor too, will the amount of people interested in paying for AI content support it’s massive investment needs? Will the wash of easy and cheap content drown out creators who make things by hand? And finally how useful can AI be to the creators without replacing their style and value?