Every time I read about a new tool for generating content with AI, I think, “The problem to solve here isn’t generation, it’s discovery.”

Last week, people had fun trying out the podcast generation feature of Google’s NotebookLM. Provide some sources – websites, videos, research papers, whatever – and NotebookLM will generate a podcast featuring two fake hosts discussing the content. (You may have heard the clip where someone prompted the hosts to realize they’re not human.) It’s impressive! But once you get over the trick the blandness is apparent.

But do we need more podcasts?

There are over 2.7 million different podcasts in Apple’s directory. Spotify has 6 million podcast titles! And more than 200k new podcasts launch every year…

And it’s not just podcasts.

Roughly ~11k books are published on the average day – without self-publishing it’s a mere ~2.5k! ~220 new comic issues were launched on Comixology, an Amazon company last week. And ~280 new video games launch on Steam every week! ~3.7 million YouTube videos are uploaded every day.

The problem isn’t generation. It’s discovery. We keep hearing about generation because it makes for better demos.

But we have been using LLMs, deep learning, AI, or whatever it’s called today to find content for a while now. Meta, TikTok, and YouTube tailor your feeds, trying to find the best bits for you out of the oceans of content. The problem – and where I think the opportunity lies – is in how these platforms are defining “best”. Each prioritizes engagement: how much you interact with content and how long you stay on their platform. A perfect feed, for them, is one where you constantly smash that like button and never leave the app.

But there are so many other qualities we want from the books, shows, movies, and podcasts we consume. Do we think about a piece of content for days? Does it cause us to realize something new about our life? Does it help us feel seen or recognize others? Does it challenge us? Or is it just hilarious or beautiful?

The content you want is almost certainly out there, but the odds are against you finding it. AI could help with discovery, sifting through the oceans of human creation to find something special.