Cultural anthropologist Grant McCracken and host David Perell explore how AI is reshaping creativity, work, and human identity. McCracken argues AI is eroding traditional expertise hierarchies, creating a “post-expert” world where everyone has access to instant expertise, potentially leading to cultural “flattening” but also new creative possibilities. He suggests we’re entering a “second Middle Ages” where AI acts like medieval monks preserving knowledge but also controlling access to it. McCracken critiques the “productivity cult” around AI, suggesting we should focus on enhancing human creativity rather than replacing it. He advocates for “hybrid intelligence” where humans and AI collaborate rather than compete. The conversation explores how AI might actually increase the value of live experiences and human creativity rather than diminishing them. ### AI is creating a “post-expert” world McCracken argues AI is collapsing traditional expertise hierarchies. As he puts it: “We’re entering a post-expert world where everyone has access to instant expertise.” This democratization could flatten cultural distinctions as everyone draws from the same AI-generated knowledge base, potentially leading to cultural homogenization rather than diversity. ### We’re entering a “Second Middle Ages” McCracken proposes we’re entering a “Second Middle Ages” where AI acts like medieval monks preserving knowledge but controlling access: “AI is like monks in the medieval period, preserving knowledge but also controlling it.” This suggests AI could create new gatekeepers rather than eliminating them entirely. ### The “productivity cult” is the wrong focus Both critique the “productivity cult” around AI. McCracken argues: “We’re obsessed with productivity, but what if AI’s real value is enhancing creativity rather than efficiency?