[a16z: In the AI Era, the True Scarcity Is Not 'Taste,' but the Social Infrastructure for Cultivating Judgment] According to a report by Jinse Finance, on August 27, a16z partner Tim Sullivan published an article stating that as AI significantly reduces the cost of content production, the surge in 'junk content' (slop) and the ethical panic surrounding AI-generated creations are not new phenomena. Historically, from Grub Street, cheap newspapers, pulp fiction to television, blogs, and social media, every reduction in production costs has brought about a flood of low-cost content and similar cultural controversies. The article cites social science research suggesting that 'taste' is not a singular ability but may encompass various mechanisms such as the ability to judge success, access to cross-community information, and professional judgment formed through long-term training. Research from Columbia University shows that social influence and path dependency significantly affect whether a work can ultimately become a hit, making it difficult even for experts to consistently predict true successes. The article also references sociologist Ron Burt's 'structural holes' theory, which posits that truly innovative individuals often exist between different communities, gaining unique perspectives through cross-community interactions. While AI can quickly access information across various fields, it struggles to fully replace the tacit knowledge, trust, and experience accumulated by humans through direct participation in multiple social networks. Sullivan argues that in the era of widespread AI adoption, the more critical role for humans may shift toward verification and judgment, which require apprenticeship, feedback, and long-term practice to develop. If companies weaken training systems due to AI replacing entry-level positions, they may reduce costs in the short term but risk a future shortage of talent with mature judgment. Therefore, in the AI era, what may truly become scarce is not 'taste' itself, but the talent, networks, and social infrastructure necessary for cultivating sound judgment.