The End of Standardization - How AI is Making Uniformity Obsolete

In the essay Consistency is Primitive, Christopher Butler makes the point that our current reliance on standardized software is a relic of manufacturing constraints rather than a design necessity. Historically, high production costs required productization - building once and selling many - to achieve economies of scale. But as AI becomes digital infrastructure, these constraints vanish.

Butler explains that when AI can generate functional code and interfaces instantly, the "economic imperative" for standardization disappears. We are moving toward an era of bespoke technology, where software is no longer a static product but access to a "mind" that generates unique, personal solutions. In this context, consistency is viewed as a sign of "civilizational infancy"—a limitation we will eventually outgrow.

This shift presents some big challenges:

• If every interface is unique, sharing knowledge or teaching others becomes difficult.

• Centralized ownership of AI "minds" creates significant power imbalances.

• Transitioning from "wrestling with constraints" to mere prompting may atrophy human imagination.

Ultimately, Butler suggests that while a world of infinite, inconsistent variation may look like chaos today, it represents a future where technology is finally as distinct as the individuals using it.