When is the last time someone invented a new instrument?

When you think about it, most rock bands have one, maybe two guitarists, a vocalist, a bass player, and a drummer. And that has proven to be the winning formula for a long time. Sure, the sound quality has gotten better over the decades. The editing tools, recording studios, and pedals are miles ahead of what The Beatles had when they recorded at Abbey Road.

I think the most interesting benchmark for AI is whether it has created a totally new process for how we approach our work. Meaning, did it create a new instrument? Or are we just continuing to refine the factory (making it faster, cheaper, and with fewer defects)?

For all the innovation, I haven’t seen a new way to email yet. But perhaps that will come. That’s the most interesting work ahead.