RE: Can AI Create Art?
You are viewing a single comment's thread:
First, I agree with your observations regarding AI today :)
their innermost thoughts, feelings and experiences
But only today, considering our world knowledge as we know it today.
I am a student of science, literature and art, and in that order. I will refer you to Asimov's I- Robot, the book, written in 1950, which published the 3 laws of Robotics, still in application today in concept. Here is a monologue from the movie (a bit dramatic, but captures the main theme), the famous "ghosts in the machine talk"
Here Will Smith is asking the same question you are asking...can a robot write a symphony, can a robot create a masterpiece?
The robot responds with a question: Can you? :)
You see where I am going with this, while today you argument remains true but the boundaries are getting very blurry everyday. We are still a distance away from achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—an AI that can think, reason, and perform any intellectual task a human being can. A few prominent accelerationists (I will let you look up the term) think we are 4 years away. Others think we are 40 years away.
Whatever the number is, just like Sunny retorted, then he may not create a symphony, but can generate art much better than detective Spooner :) He can dream, and even draw his dream........can you?
Funny, that Asimov wrote this in 1950!
I love that movie. I've watched it more than once.
There is a profound question in your comment and in the movie. What is it to be human? How did we come to be? Do we have an essential nature? Can a machine be human? How do we cross that threshold?
Bladerunner follows the theme further. An android mates with a human. That's one way of crossing the threshold...although that raises another series of questions.
Years ago I read a book by Miguel de Unamumo, (I think in English it's called The Cloud) in which the main character learns he is not 'real' but is in a novel. His life is controlled by the author. This theme has been repeated in other places. Is he real because he thinks he's real? Is he human?
So, I don't know if a robot can cross the threshold of being human. If not, then no matter how skilled that robot, I'm not interested in its creation. I think art is about humans communicating with each other. We are eusocial. Can a robot be human enough to be part of our eusocial community? I guess it's possible.
Anyway, as you say, we're not there yet :))