A recent post on the internet, which was widely shared, goes like this: “I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can my laundry and dishes”.
Attibuted to the X (Twitter) handle of Joanna Maciejewska, this struck a chord with many. What exactly is the role of Artifical Intelligence (AI) today? But more importantly, what should it be?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has now almost fully entered our lives, often without our knowledge. This year, the behemoth Google launched AI powered search which apparently provides more specific and targeted responses to the usual questions we ask of it.
The implications of technology taking over, even anticipating our interests, needs and desires is fairly disconcerting and the future seems equally bleak if the trend continues.
What is one to make of this?
On the one hand, technology clearly has the upper hand. There is nothing that our devices cannot do: plan our outings, our work, meetings, even remember to send flowers on a special occasion. What is then left for us to do?
But does that genuinely take the burden off everyday routine to let us focus on the truly important aspect of creating? There are no simple answers.
Today, writing, drawing, painting and even films can be created by AI within seconds. This has genuinely helped many who are using this generative AI for other purposes – advertising, social messaging, even using data to tackle climate change.
The problem is when AI is being used as an end in itself, to save time, both physical and mental, and also as a shortcut to do the actual work of thinking – a sure sign of a mature human.
Producing an entire novel or painting within seconds is counter intuitive. Think of the amount of time an artist puts into a work, the depth it gains and the questions it raises. The product generated by AI, at least for now, is flat, lacking the range of emotions evoked by traditional art.
As an article in The Guardian, says ‘Anna Ridler an artist known for her work with AI, says that despite Dall-E 2 (a programme) feeling “like magic” the first time you use it, so far she hasn’t felt a spark of inspiration in her experiments with the tool’.
Even so, taking a purist’s approach and dismissing AI totally is not the right answer anymore. The technology is there and not going anywhere.
As many artists are now realising, AI can be used to do the initial work for an artist: organising background information, creating character profiles and summaries of early drafts, in the case of a writer.
As blogger Josh Render said, “I don't want AI to do the creating, I want AI to help me be the best creative I can be”.
In the debate between AI and creative arts, there are no easy winners. At best, a happy co-existence between the two is the desired outcome.
Knowing how to live with technology while retaining the depth, range and imperfections of human life is the challenge of our time.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
