AI vs. Artists: Who Can Claim Creativity?
Creativity is one of the greatest accomplishments a human can achieve. Whether it be through music, painting, drawing, or writing, individuals can demonstrate their artistic skills and showcase what makes them unique. But with advances in artificial intelligence (AI), can machines be considered creative, too? How does AI stack up against human talent when it comes to producing creative, novel works? This article will discuss creative works produced by both, AI and human artists, so you can draw your own conclusions on who can claim the title of most creative.
AI is defined as a computer system designed to replicate human cognitive functions such as problem-solving, learning, and pattern-recognition. AI has been around since the 1950’s, but in recent years, advancements have enabled AI to accomplish previously unimaginable tasks. Using AI algorithms, computers can process complex datasets and make decisions similar to how a human would. With AI at our side, it’s no surprise that entities from corporations to governments look to machines as a powerful tool to tackle difficult tasks that would otherwise be incredibly challenging for a person to complete.
What Does AI Consider Creative?
Before we can answer the question of who is more creative, AI or artists, we need to identify what is considered “creative” by AI. AI scientists consider AI-generated content that has a unique or novel approach to be creative. Rather than robots regurgitating what’s been done before, unique AI-generated content creates a new product or idea that has never been seen before. Additionally, AI-generated content should be aesthetically pleasing, with visuals that are as refined and sophisticated as a human artist can produce. Only when both conditions are met, can AI-generated content be considered creative.
Examples of AI-Generated Content
Let’s take a look at some examples of creative works generated by AI. One example is AI-generated music: algorithms can identify an array of musical elements and combine them in novel ways to create entire compositions with no human intervention. For instance, Sony CSL Research Lab developed a computer program called Flow Machines to study musical styles and use what it learned to write original songs that resemble classic musicians like the Beatles and Michael Jackson.
AI-generated visual art is another example of how AI has claimed its own form of creativity. A French collective called Obvious used a machine learning approach to reproduce artworks from masters such as Albrecht Durer and Edvard Munch. The collective tasked a machine learning algorithm with studying a dataset of images, and then used what it learned to generate a new, entirely AI-generated artwork. From a completely original portrait to a drawing of a bird, AI has shown it can indeed generate creative works.
Human Artists
Now, let’s compare AI-generated art against works produced by human artists. Human artists create works by transforming their existing, personal experiences into objects of art. From a visual painting to a composition of music, creativity is limited only by an artist’s imagination. Artists interpret the world around them and use what they learned to create artwork that has its own original, interpretive flair. With the right amount of perspective and execution, humans have produced artwork that is not only creative but also aesthetically pleasing.
Examples of Human Art
Human art can take many forms: from painting or drawing to music or writing. Some spotlight examples of human art include wordplay, which is a form of literature used to illustrate a point or a moral lesson in a witty, engaging way. Literature also allows for an artist to interpret their own meanings and expressions in a powerful, persuasive way.
In terms of visual art, individuals such as Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent van Gogh have produced works of art that have been admired for centuries. These individuals employed unique techniques and styles to illustrate scenes that were both creative and realistic. From the inverted pyramid in the Mona Lisa to the vibrant, impassioned colors in Starry Night, these works convey emotions and themes unknown to AI-generated content.
Comparison: AI vs. Human Art
So, who can claim creativity? The answer is both! Human artists have the advantage of experience and personal interpretations to illustrate their work, while AI-generated content benefits from being able to process massive datasets for maximum accuracy.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to the artist’s or AI algorithm’s ability to create unique, aesthetically pleasing works that produces a wealth of emotion. AI is able to process complex datasets and provide a unique approach to a certain task, while artists have the advantage of their original perspectives and talents to create powerful works of art. Both can produce creative works that have become timeless and iconic, and it’s up to the viewer of artwork to decide which is more creative.
Both AI and artists have various capabilities that enable them to generate creative works. Based on what AI can process, and what artists can interpret, each have the potential to push the boundaries of creativity. Therefore, it’s hard to determine who can claim the title of “most creative,” as it’s up to each person to decide based on their personal experiences or tastes.
Regardless of who produces the artwork, what’s important is that it has the potential to make a lasting image. From an AI-generated portrait to a painting by the Dutch masters, both AI and artists strive to create something that moves the audience and leaves its mark.
