The Moment the Creativity Dies

The most fun and creativity happen before a product reaches full maturity.

Remember when phones were fun? Different operating systems, form factors, and unique ways to use them. PalmOS, quirky Nokias, Blackberries. Then Apple found the perfect formula, and over time, they and other companies polished it to the point where all phones are essentially the same. Whether it’s Android or iOS, they offer the same functionality, access to the same app stores, and you’re launching the same apps on either device. They even look alike because, given the current state of technology, this design has become the most efficient and practical option:

Social media, in its early days, was a wild frontier. Platforms like MySpace, early Facebook, and Tumblr encouraged personal expression, creativity, and experimentation in how we interacted online. Profiles were unique, customizable, and full of personality. But as these platforms matured, they converged on a similar model: streamlined, monetized, and optimized for engagement. While Snapchat and TikTok introduced something fresh, Instagram and Facebook quickly copied them, and now all of these platforms feel like variations of the same formula, driven by algorithms and ad revenue. You can’t escape the Feed and its relentless algorithm nowadays.

Take Threads, for example. It was a lot of fun in its first year and was meant to be a text-based alternative to the declining Twitter. But it couldn’t escape its owner, Meta — they’re now testing a feature that lets you post Instagram Reels directly on Threads.

In the end, the creativity and freedom of the early days have been replaced by a more uniform, polished product, all designed for maximum user retention.

The same goes for video games. There used to be a wide variety of genres and experimental ideas that made gaming truly fun. But once the most efficient formulas were discovered, we started seeing yearly releases of the same genres. Call of Duty became an annual fixture, and an entire genre is now named after Dark Souls. Entire companies are sustained by MOBAs, one of the most successful formulas that started as a Warcraft 3 mod. And let’s not forget, Warcraft 3 itself was an RTS game - a genre that’s almost forgotten in 2024. I remember when RTS games were dominant, but now they’ve nearly vanished. They weren’t efficient, profitable, or perhaps even popular enough to survive - and that, unfortunately, sealed their fate.

What else? Well, life’s like that too - the most fun happens while you’re growing up, right? Just kidding!

The same can be said for AI. The perfect formula hasn’t been found yet (and let’s be honest, the chat interface isn’t it). Just like in the early days of mobile phones, social media, or video games, we’re in a period of experimentation and trial and error, where everyone is racing to find the killer application and the most efficient solution.

But with this excitement comes the inevitable realization that once the most efficient formula is discovered, we might find ourselves in the same situation - with polished, predictable solutions that follow a single, optimized path, but the oceans will be several degrees warmer than before AI was invented.

And remember - there are no AI agents. It’s just someone else’s LLMs.