Shared entertainment has always shaped how people connect. Families once gathered around a single television. College friends planned their week around a show everyone watched at the same time. Movie theatres turned an audience into a temporary community. Even when streaming arrived, the biggest stories still found ways to bring people together for premieres, finales, and cultural moments.
AI will not replace that. Big films, concerts, and live events will still matter. But side by side with those experiences, AI will offer something new. It can generate long form movies or albums that match your taste perfectly. You do not wait for them. You do not compromise with anyone. They are delivered instantly, shaped around your favorite pacing, themes, and emotional patterns. It is entertainment that fits like a glove, and it will be hard not to reach for it.
As people start to mix both worlds, an uncomfortable tension appears. Tailored stories scratch the immediate itch and feel more rewarding minute to minute. Shared stories ask more from you. They take longer. They do not always match your preferences, yet they create the moments larger than yourself.
The conundrum:
If AI gives us instant entertainment that feels perfect, will we still choose the slower, shared experiences that once helped us feel connected to something bigger, or will the pull of personal comfort slowly reshape what we show up for? And if our habits shift over time, what happens to the cultural moments that rely on many people choosing the same story at the same time?