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Anna Posyniak‑Dutka Can AI Be Creative?

To be able to address this questionaddress this question [address something]address this question we need to define the two main concepts it comprisescomprises [comprise]comprises – artificial intelligence and creativity. Starting with AI, we already stumble uponstumble uponstumble upon a challenge as definitions of it are many and varied. A dictionary entrydictionary entrydictionary entry for AI points out that it’s a study of how to create machines with human‑like qualitieshuman‑like qualities [human‑like quality]human‑like qualities such as the ability to understand information, recognise images, learn, and solve problems. According to a more technical approach, AI is a set of algorithmsset of algorithmsset of algorithms designed to mimic human intelligencemimic human intelligencemimic human intelligence. Yet another explanation states that AI is an interdisciplinary scienceinterdisciplinary scienceinterdisciplinary science aimed at constructing smart machines. Creativity is defined as the ability to create something new and valuable. InventivenessinventivenessInventiveness, in other words. Can these two concepts be put together into one physical form?

We like to personifypersonifypersonify the world around us. We are much more likely to see human traitshuman traits [human trait]human traits in machines which have been given faces and limbslimbs [limb]limbs than in computer screens. All that regardless of the fact that the softwaresoftwaresoftware behind both machines might be identical. We are likely to ignore the fact that the physical form does not make machines any more akin toakin toakin to humans.

Nowadays machines can perform lots of tasks which have all the hallmarks ofhave all the hallmarks ofhave all the hallmarks of creativity. They can compose music or write poems out of elements provided by humans. Is it real inventiveness, though? True creativity originatesoriginateoriginates from a brain. Machines can only do what people programme them to do. It’s impossible for a computer to come up withcome up withcome up with a truly original idea despite the fact that machines’ capacity for data intakecapacity for data intakecapacity for data intake and processing is incomparablyincomparablyincomparably bigger than ours.

For that very reason it’s the machine and human cooperation that produces the most spectacular outcomes. At the moment, AI is treated as a partner (another case of personification) in the human creative process. Artificial intelligence is commonly used in areas such as art, music, dance, design, and publishing where computer systems fed enormous amounts of datacomputer systems fed enormous amounts of data [computer system fed enormous amount of data]computer systems fed enormous amounts of data boost human creativityboost human creativityboost human creativity. How? For instance by generating ideasgenerating ideas [generate an idea]generating ideas which are later refinedrefined [refine]refined and customisedcustomised [customise]customised by human creators. It can help some artists overcome artist’s blockovercome artist’s blockovercome artist’s block. Experts, however, question AI’s ability to create noveltycreate noveltycreate novelty without human guidancehuman guidancehuman guidance.

Alan Turing, a British mathematician who contributed tocontributed to [contribute to]contributed to breaking the Enigma code during World War II, was one of the first to formulate the question whether or not machines can think. He took it a step further, and he designed a test, the aim of which is to determine if a machine can demonstrate a human‑like intelligence and deceive an observer into thinkingdeceive an observer into thinking [deceive somebody into thinking]deceive an observer into thinking that it is a human being. The test, also referred to as an imitation gameimitation gameimitation game, is a three‑party written conversationthree‑party written conversationthree‑party written conversation in which two interlocutorsinterlocutors [interlocutor]interlocutors answer questions asked by an interrogatorinterrogatorinterrogator who at the same time observes and tries to figure out which one is a machine. AI still hasn’t passed the test yet. The moment it does will mark a major step forward in its development.

Coming back to the original question, although the boundary between human creativity and what AI is capable of is becoming mighty fine, it seems that for the time being the answer is no. However, things which were considered unthinkableunthinkableunthinkable years ago, are our reality now, and nobody questions their existence. Time will telltime will tellTime will tell what future developments in terms of artificial intelligence will bring, and these will definitely be exciting discoveries! For now, it remains fertile groundfertile groundfertile ground for science‑fiction creators.

1 Źródło: Anna Posyniak‑Dutka, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.