The AI Purity Test

The AI purity test is an emerging social instinct that measures a person's authenticity and credibility based on whether they use artificial intelligence and how visibly they rely on it. It reflects a deeper cultural tension between self-sufficiency and assistance, where the presence of AI is often judged not by the quality of the result but by what it implies about character, effort, and legitimacy. This instinct is shaped by privilege, since the ability to reject AI often signals time, access, and stability rather than principle. More than a statement about tools, the purity test reveals how we manage unspoken hierarchies, using aesthetics and effort as quiet forms of gatekeeping. The Blue Origin all-female spaceflight offers a subtle parallel, where symbolic participation masks a lack of control, reminding us how power often hides behind performance. These rituals, though informal, show us who belongs and who does not, exposing the implicit systems that decide value in a culture increasingly shaped by appearances.