At a private dinner, industry insiders dropped the talking points and wrestled with what AI means for creativity, careers, and control. The question landed somewhere between the appetizers and the first round of real disagreement: With the rise of AI , what does mastery even mean? Around the table, the reaction wasn’t panic so much as recognition. A composer pushed back first: mastery isn’t going anywhere, but it’s shifting. Presume everyone can quickly learn a sophisticated skillset — when