Artificial intelligence has simplified the process of copying existing ideas, making originality more valuable than ever for businesses and product creators. The real competitive advantage now lies in consistently inventing new concepts rather than relying solely on features or pricing. To illustrate this, it helps to look back at the era of Flash on the web.
In the mid-2000s, Flash enabled a wave of creative experimentation online. Websites often featured interactive microsites with animations, games, and novel user experiences that were previously impossible. Despite its many flaws—poor accessibility, intrusive animations, and clunky interfaces—Flash sparked a period of intense innovation, allowing designers and artists to explore new ideas and interactions.
This creative explosion was akin to how affordable synthesizers in the 1970s gave rise to new music genres. Flash empowered a generation to experiment with web design, leading to innovations like animated menus, drag-and-drop interfaces, and interactive product configurators. While much of this experimentation was imperfect, it was necessary to discover what worked and what didn’t.
Today’s web is more standardized, accessible, and functional but also less visually and interactively adventurous. Websites tend to be clean and efficient but often lack distinctiveness. Large language models (LLMs) and AI tools can generate websites quickly, but these tend to be ordinary and safe, reflecting the vast but banal data they are trained on.
A recent study found that by mid-2025, about 35% of new websites were AI-generated. However, unlike the Flash era, these AI-generated sites rarely involve meaningful creative decisions by humans. The result is a proliferation of technically competent but uninspired designs.
This shift raises concerns for businesses facing increased competition as AI lowers entry barriers. The solution is genuine creativity—not just superficial design tweaks but fundamental rethinking of products and user experiences. Companies must question assumptions, identify overlooked problems, and invent new interactions or models rather than iterating on existing templates.
AI can accelerate experimentation by enabling rapid prototyping and iteration, but humans must remain in control of critical decisions. Creativity should be a habit, involving continuous exploration, even if many attempts fail. This process of trial and error is essential for breakthroughs.
The article emphasizes that the true moat in today’s market is the ongoing ability to innovate deeply and originally. While execution and design quality have become easier to replicate, the capacity to frame problems differently and create novel solutions remains scarce.
In conclusion, businesses and creators should embrace experimentation and cultivate creativity as a core practice. Leveraging AI’s speed to explore new ideas rather than replicate old ones offers a path to meaningful differentiation and lasting value.