GoKawiilAI Tools Erase Cost Advantage of Producing 'Competent' Work
A new analysis argues that large language models have driven the cost of producing average-quality writing, code and analysis down to nearly zero. What once required specialized skills, time and organizational infrastructure can now be generated instantly by anyone with access to an LLM, making merely competent output an abundant commodity rather than a differentiator.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
When every company and individual has access to the same AI capabilities, baseline competence stops being a source of competitive advantage. The real differentiation shifts toward judgment, taste, original insight and execution quality that AI cannot replicate cheaply, forcing professionals and businesses to rethink where their value actually comes from.
- LLMs have collapsed the cost of producing 'competent' work to near zero.
- Average-quality output is no longer a differentiator since AI can generate it instantly.
- Competitive advantage now depends on skills and judgment beyond what AI can commoditize.
Source: fastcompany.com, 2026-09-10
Published there as: “The zero value of average work”
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