"Computers are to design as microwaves are to cooking" - Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser was a graphic designer who you'll probably know for his iconic 'I Love NY' logo.
I was thinking about that quote this week in relation to GenAI in general terms and what I call achieving the 'Ceiling of Average'. I'm not sure if that's an original term but when you consider how AI models function, you receive an approximation of intelligence trained to the most statistically likely continuation of your prompt. Lacking critical thinking, models as we know them today can only support a user to achieve an average level of competence.
They're fundamentally regression-to-the-mean machines (applying next token likelihood) where their strength lies in their ability to synthesise data, not determine taste, originality or insight. Without disruption or new input and in combination with AI slop, they will effectively flatten creativity over time.
As Glaser said, computers can speed things up, but that doesn't necessarily or always make things better.
