Robin Good

Distant Writing: Literary Production in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Revised version 5

In a world where algorithms optimise, predict, and personalise, genuine unpredictability becomes scarcer. And as a result, human taste - slow, embodied, context-dependent, and stubbornly imperfect - becomes all the more valuable.

According to Bourdieu, taste doesn’t simply come from preferences or data points. It comes from habitus - the system of experiences gained by a person through their upbringing, education, and social environment. Because of this, taste is embodied: it’s the way certain things feel immediately right and others immediately wrong, without being able to... See more

For Bourdieu, taste is a tool of distinction that defines you against others, signals where you come from, and grants you influence within a certain group. But taste is more than a status symbol: it’s a form of power. For most tech billionaires, entering the world of culture isn’t about belonging in it or being seen as cultured; it’s about... See more

In the late 20th century, French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu introduced an idea that explained a great deal about how culture and power are inextricably related. Alongside economic capital (money) and social capital (networks and relationships), he identified a third type: cultural capital - the knowledge, credentials, and aesthetic sensibility... See more

the skill of developing enough self-knowledge and critical vocabulary to choose deliberately, to understand why you chose it, and to keep revising. That recursive loop of choosing, reflecting, and choosing again with greater clarity is what we mean by curatorial intent.

La mayor oportunidad para las marcas, entonces, puede que no sea publicar contenido más inteligente, sino comprender que la autoridad reside ahora en la intersección de la escasez, el gusto y la orientación.

La atención es finita y, en ese contexto, las marcas con un gusto perceptible que puedan dirigir la atención decisivamente pueden ganarse una... See more

“La curación de contenido... permite a las marcas crear un entorno al que la gente recurre continuamente como fuente de conocimiento sobre un tema o asunto en particular. De este modo, las marcas se posicionan como una autoridad, pero aún más importante, como una autoridad imparcial, al no limitarse a perfilar su propio contenido o puntos de vista.... See more

I connect with a piece of media when I am able to fit it into the ever-growing jigsaw that constructs my reality. It connects with me once it fits into the other pieces of the puzzle that have held significance in my life, all filtered through personal experience and perception.

To illustrate this, I curated a playlist on CIFRA where we go on a... See more