💅 Can AI Replace Taste?

What Immanuel Kant Knew That the Soho Microinfluencers Do Not, Plus — Disjointed Tariff Talking Points and Why the VIX Matters

Author

Katie Perry
April 15, 2025

Welcome to Tuesday Thursday Saturday! I share a snapshot of trending stories across business, tech, and culture three times a week. Subscribe and tell me what you want to hear about next! - KP

The Big Story: Everyone’s Using the Same Font

A few months back, I noticed something weird: every brand had started using the same serif font. From protein bars to fintech startups, it was as if everyone at once decided to incorporate the Cheerios typeface into their branding. 

All of a sudden, everything looked bookish. Elevated. Like someone wanted you to know they use Instagram for “visual research” and have thoughts about Brutalism. It was subtle, but the shift was everywhere.

It sent me down a rabbit hole about taste — a word that originally comes from the Latin gustus, meaning “to perceive through the mouth.” Over time, it evolved to include aesthetic judgment: how we “sense” what’s good, beautiful, or stylish. 

On a scale of 1 to artsy, I’m a soft 3, at best. You’re more likely to find me in a 1990s Toni Kukoč jersey I scored on eBay than something minimalist and cool from Anine Bing. Sometimes, when I am walking around the Upper East Side, I wonder: Do I have bad taste? 

(That’s a rhetorical question. Don’t answer that.)

What Even Is Taste?

Philosophers have been obsessed with this question for centuries. David Hume believed taste wasn't purely subjective. He thought some people just got better at recognizing beauty and style over time. They weren’t born with it; they trained for it. He called them “true judges.” Sounds judgy!

Immanuel Kant had his own spin. When someone says something is in good taste, Kant argued, they’re not just saying they like it. They’re implying that everyone should like it. So, taste is personal, but it comes with an expectation of universality.

That’s the tension. It feels instinctive, but it’s also collective. Taste is shaped by culture, class, and conversation. It’s never just about you.

The Class Angle

Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu made one of the boldest claims about taste: that it’s not about personal preference at all; rather, it’s about power. In his view, the upper classes define what’s considered “refined,” and everyone else absorbs those standards without realizing it. A $350 white tee from The Row is minimalist elegance. A $12 one from Amazon is, well, just a T-shirt. Spot the difference, if you can.

This dynamic is what Bourdieu called “cultural capital.” Taste becomes a kind of soft status game.

But the internet has disrupted that hierarchy. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have democratized style and influence. Today, someone with no traditional power can set a global trend from their bedroom. At the same time, there’s a growing skepticism toward conspicuous luxury. With pushback against opulence and excess, the old-school version of “elite taste” doesn’t hit the same. Taste isn’t trickling down; it’s bubbling up.

How Taste Moves

Taste is constantly evolving. Algorithms and aesthetics can shift week to week. Think of how quickly we’ve moved from millennial pink to “mocha mousse,” from quiet luxury to mob wife energy. Aesthetic trends rise, peak, and flame out — sometimes before the average person even knows they existed.

You can chase taste all you want, but you better be in the front of the pack. Here’s the irony: once something gets too popular, it often stops being seen as tasteful. It becomes “basic.” But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Sometimes it just means it’s reached saturation. It has lost its social capital.

So, is taste something you have or you don’t? Is it something that’s intrinsically linked to your socioeconomic standing? Or, can it be learned?

You can study composition, design, and storytelling. You can develop a sense of rhythm, of balance, of timing. You can expose yourself to different aesthetics and notice patterns. In these ways, taste can be trained.

But taste is also about forming judgment and having a point of view. You have to know what to leave out. That’s what gives taste its edge — restraint, not just range. The real question is: do you know why you like something? Or are you just following the feed?

Why Brands Should Care

In business, taste matters. It’s how you build trust without saying a word. A brand that’s intentional about its look, its voice, and its product experience is a brand people take seriously.

When something feels well-designed, when it feels considered, we instinctively associate it with quality. Even if we can’t explain exactly why. That’s the power of taste.

But this gets even more interesting in the age of AI. AI can do a lot by way of design:  it can generate content, design logos, and even write headlines. But there’s one thing it can’t do (yet): develop its own sense of taste. It doesn’t discern. It doesn’t judge. It can only mimic what it’s already been trained on.

That makes human taste more valuable than ever. Original perspective — the ability to say, “this feels right, and that doesn’t” — is something machines can’t replicate.

The brands, creators, and artists who are willing to define a point of view will stand out. Not by chasing what’s trending. But by knowing who they are, what they like, and how to express that with confidence.

AI can make anything look good. Taste makes it feel right.

Me and Kelly in Northwest Wisconsin. To me, this is elegance! (Photo credit: our gal KT Dubbs)

Daily Rip Live Recap: The Gang Deciphers Mixed Tariff Messaging and Palantir’s Big NATO News

Watch the show every weekday morning (M-Th) at 9 AM ET: On YouTube, X, LinkedIn, and in the Stocktwits app.

Every weekday, Shay Boloor and I run down the biggest market news and events LIVE on Stocktwits’ morning show, The Daily Rip Live. Yesterday, Howard Lindzon, CEO of Stocktwits, hopped on the show to help get investors ready for what will certainly be another eventful week in the public markets.

Here’s what we covered:

  • 2:15 | Golf was watched this weekend, and I am long Bryson DeChambeau! Howard refused to add me to their group chat, but did share that Bryson is an avid entrepreneur and is behind LA Golf, among other endeavors.

  • 4:45 | Mixing it up about the VIX and Stocktwits' social VIX, which measures fear/greed chatter across tens of millions of retail investors. We dig into why the CBOE Volatility Index is such an important metric for retail investors to watch, and ways to play it. $VIX ( ▼ 6.16% )  

  • 13:38 | Some tariff relief without clarity? Lutnick goes off script this weekend, the President seemingly corroborates, and now the message is all over the place. Still, 20% tariffs are better than 145%. For now, tech has a little bit of breathing room — but not much! $QQQ ( ▲ 1.12% )  

  • 21:55 | We got some major Palantir Technologies news as they struck a massive deal with NATO. We discussed why defense, and specifically cybersecurity/AI defense stocks, are bucking the downtrends. $PLTR ( ▲ 4.64% )  

  • 41:15 | With the IPO market grinding to a halt, we discussed Main Street implications. Goldman shared out earnings on Monday, and one of the big takeaways was the 8% decline in their advisory and M&A business. Deals aren’t happening, and companies like Klarna, Chime, and eToro that were ready to go are now back on the sidelines. What happens to the capital that those thousands of employees would have expended if given the liquidity? $GS ( ▼ 0.09% )  

  • 1:03:00 | Shay's motto for this week: "Live to trade another day." In turbulent times, it’s all about survival. Look to the businesses that are staying afloat or even thriving amidst gnarly macro conditions and start your research there. You might just find some diamonds in the rough.

Hear Shay and I yap about the markets every weekday at 9 a.m. ET on X (@stocktwits), YouTube, LinkedIn, or in your Stocktwits app. Follow me there — I’m @stocktwitsKP!

Now Here’s a Chart

AI’s impact — startups are staying lean for longer. I am already seeing this trend across several clients. People are using AI to do more with less. Where will the unused headcount go?

Optimistic take: Labor will siphon to new areas created by AI, as was the case in previous industrial revolutions. Darker take: If you ask Andrew Yang, we’re going to need a system for Universal Basic Income — and fast. As I like to say, it’s probably a little of column A, and a little of column B!

Reading List

🎧 Now playing: Bruce Springsteen has called Lana De Rey one of the greatest singer-songwriters of a generation. He’s not wrong → “The greatest” - Lana Del Rey

Tuesday Thursday Saturday is written by Katie Perry, owner of Ursa Major Media, which provides fractional marketing services and strategy in software, tech, consumer products, professional services, and other industries. She is also the co-host of Stocktwits’ Daily Rip Live show.

Disclaimer: The contents here reflect recaps and summaries of pre-reported or published data, news, and trends. I have cited sources and context for the information provided to the best of my ability. The purpose of the newsletter is to inform and educate on larger trends shaping business and culture — this is NOT investment advice. As an investor, you should always do your own research before making any decisions about your money or your portfolio.