“Can Computers Create Art – Aaron Hertzmann”
The three articles were very well written, providing a lot of detailed insight to a lay man or even a computer science enthusiast who may not be well versed with the fine details of Art History.
The first article talks about how photography became an art form, from an era of paintings where artists had achieved almost photograph-like accuracies while depicting scenarios. With the advent of photography, Artists then moved towards abstraction or enhanced realism that only they could depict and not the machines creating photographs. The author explains the concept of a new medium/art form being introduced very well which can later be used to draw a parallel into whether Computer AI like photography, would render Artists obsolete or even force them to move into an even more niche space of visual art.
The second and third article deal more with the question if computer can create Art. The author strongly argues about why, with the current technologies, Computers do not make art. They cannot be called ‘Artists’ based on multiple reasons such as Authorship, Lack of Social Autonomy, Intent and so on. In the third article, the author attempts to predict if Computers in the future will “earn the title of” or “deem themselves worthy of being called” an Artist.
This was a very interesting reading task inspite of not being a research paper. Based on the articles, it is clear that we are a long way from Artist Softwares, but we are perhaps on the path? However, once our softwares are intelligent and autonomous and social enough, I highly doubt that their artistic abilities is what would concern the majority of us.
Furthermore, a small point that made me think was, the words “Ethical Weight” that an Artist is entrusted with? I believe that an artist has certain moral and ethical responsibilities. More or less, Art has a nurturing relationship with culture and vice versa, both support each other in a progressive and positive way. And thus Art has to be responsible with certain responsibilities which may (should?) drive cultural change for the better and not worse. Even in stand-up comedy, a different medium of art, there is an unsaid rule about “Punching up and not down”
Lastly, if a man-made software, creates a software which is capable of creating art, what would be the art here and who would be the artist?