The Polarities of Creativity: Art v Science and Human v Machine

Creativity isn’t a battlefield where art clashes with science, or humans fight machines it's not a win-lose debate. Instead, it's a playground where art and science, humans and machines come together to gain on the swings without losing on the roundabout.

Komar and Melamid: Where Science Meets Art

In the 1990s, artists Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid turned data into art before AI even entered the chat. They ran a survey to discover what people loved and loathed in art. The result? They took the data and interpreted into the "Most Wanted Painting" and the "Least Wanted Painting" for different countries.

It wasn't a scientific study. It wasn't an art project. It was both - an Artistic Interpretation of Algorithmic Insights (#AI x #AI). The DIA center for the Arts published the full results here https://awp.diaart.org/km/

ChatGPT and Microsoft Designer: Where Humans Meet Machines

To put it to the test I ran the DIA data through ChatGPT asking it to write me a prompt for Microsoft Designer to produce the most and least wanted painting.

Microsoft Designer churned out 4 options for each within seconds, Here are the AI-generated images compared to the original DIA images.

So What's The Point?

It is clear that AI-generated art is just as repulsive as the Human creation 30 years earlier, only rendered a bit better and a lot faster. Both artworks where created from the same data and it was surprising how similar the end results were.

I think the point that Komar and Melamid were trying to make in their art/science project is that art is subjective and creativity is about perspective - the aggregation and homogenization of data to create art is fundamentally flawed.

It sounds like many content creators today are making the same argument that Komar and Melamid made 30 years ago. It's a valid argument but in the pursuit of proving the bleeding obvious, I think they are missing a few salient points.

5 Salient Points:

1. BIG DATA: The DAI study was based on a sample of 3001 survey respondents and the question set was basic. AI has the power to analyze far greater sample sizes and with more intelligence.
2. POPULIST DESIGNS: The vast majority of corporate content is designed to demonstrate an evidence base that appeals to the masses and is safe for client sign off.
3. EFFICIENCY: The AI Art above was produced in the fraction of time it would have taken DIA.
4. GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT: AI Data collection and analysis is far more sophisticated than simple date aggregation, providing better insight.
5. DYNAMIC LEARNING: While the creatives sleep and rest on the laurels of their Alma Mater learnings, AI is continuously learning and improving real time.

Human Insight vs. Machine Precision

• Human Insight: Interpreting data through a human lens adds depth and meaning. It's not the data that makes ya creative it's the insight based more on human empathy than hard data.
• Machine Precision: Modern algorithms churn out artworks that reflect popular trends, aligns with human preferences and mimics styles with impressive precision

The Future: Collaboration, Not Competition

The future isn’t about choosing between art and science, or humans and machines. It’s about how we blend these elements to enhance creativity. AI can offer new tools and insights, but human empathy and perspective adds the vital creative spark that machines can’t replicate.

By leveraging both human intuition and machine intelligence, we’re not just creating art—we’re expanding the craft of creativity.