Most entertainment is derivative, yes. But there’s still a tiny little bit of new creativity infused in these derivative works, except for the really bad ones. This all adds up and contributes to the Zeitgeist. And they also incorporate elements of the Zeitgeist that didn’t originate in the entertainment industry.

But this doesn’t invalidate my point. Without that small portion of truly creative new stuff being made, the whole thing will freeze. The more human artists we replace with AI, the fewer new ideas will be added to the culture each year.