The Artist in the Machine

Arthur I. Miller

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English

MIT Press
01 February 2021

Advertising & society; Machine learning

Today's computers are composing music that sounds ""more Bach than Bach,"" turning photographs into paintings in the style of Van Gogh's Starry Night, and even writing screenplays. But are computers truly creative--or are they merely tools to be used by musicians, artists, and writers? In this book, Arthur I. Miller takes us on a tour of creativity in the age of machines. Miller, an authority on creativity, identifies the key factors essential to the creative process, from ""the need for introspection"" to ""the ability to discover the key problem."" He talks to people on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, encountering computers that mimic the brain and machines that have defeated champions in chess, Jeopardy!, and Go. In the central part of the book, Miller explores the riches of computer-created art, introducing us to artists and computer scientists who have, among much else, unleashed an artificial neural network to create a nightmarish, multi-eyed dog-cat; taught AI to imagine; developed a robot that paints; created algorithms for poetry; and produced the world's first computer-composed musical, Beyond the Fence, staged by Android Lloyd Webber and friends.

But, Miller writes, in order to be truly creative, machines will need to step into the world. He probes the nature of consciousness and speaks to researchers trying to develop emotions and consciousness in computers. Miller argues that computers can already be as creative as humans--and someday will surpass us. But this is not a dystopian account; Miller celebrates the creative possibilities of artificial intelligence in art, music, and literature.

An authority on creativity introduces us to AI-powered computers that are creating art, literature, and music that may well surpass the creations of humans.

Today's computers are composing music that sounds ""more Bach than Bach,"" turning photographs into paintings in the style of Van Gogh's Starry Night, and even writing screenplays. But are computers truly creative-or are they merely tools to be used by musicians, artists, and writers? In this book, Arthur I. Miller takes us on a tour of creativity in the age of machines.

Miller, an authority on creativity, identifies the key factors essential to the creative process, from ""the need for introspection"" to ""the ability to discover the key problem."" He talks to people on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, encountering computers that mimic the brain and machines that have defeated champions in chess, Jeopardy!, and Go. In the central part of the book, Miller explores the riches of computer-created art, introducing us to artists and computer scientists who have, among much else, unleashed an artificial neural network to create a nightmarish, multi-eyed dog-cat; taught AI to imagine; developed a robot that paints; created algorithms for poetry; and produced the world's first computer-composed musical, Beyond the Fence, staged by Android Lloyd Webber and friends.

But, Miller writes, in order to be truly creative, machines will need to step into the world. He probes the nature of consciousness and speaks to researchers trying to develop emotions and consciousness in computers. Miller argues that computers can already be as creative as humans-and someday will surpass us. But this is not a dystopian account; Miller celebrates the creative possibilities of artificial intelligence in art, music, and literature.

By: Arthur I. Miller
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9780262539623
ISBN 10: 0262539624
Pages: 432
Publication Date: 01 February 2021
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Arthur I. Miller is Emeritus Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at University College London. He is the author ofColliding Worlds- How Cutting-Edge Science is Redefining Contemporary Artand other books includingEinstein, Picasso- Space, Time, and the Beauty That Causes Havoc.

Reviews for The Artist in the Machine

With this quite extraordinary book Arthur Miller has produced an essential, readable, and highly intelligent account of the manner in which machines can - and surely soon will - become involved in the process of creativity. In art, poetry, music, and thinking, computers are now teetering on the brink of true consciousness with implications both tantalizing and terrifying, as this necessary book so eloquently illustrates. - Simon Winchester, author of The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World Arthur Miller is one of the world's most insightful thinkers about the intersection of art and science. In this profound book, he takes on a key question in the impending age of artificial intelligence: Can computers be creative? Readers will be fascinated by his analysis of the unexpected talents of computers and also the more fundamental issue of what creativity actually is. It's an important book for anyone who wants to understand the role we humans will play in a technologically driven future. - Walter Isaacson, Professor of History, Tulane University and author of Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci Arthur I. Miller is widely acclaimed as a scholarly, insightful, and prolific thinker whose earlier books have illuminated the symbiosis between the arts and sciences. The Artist in the Machine addresses a hugely important new topic: Miller recounts many instances where artistic creativity is already being nourished by interaction with artificial intelligence - and speculates on the capabilities of more powerful machines. This fascinating book deserves wide readership. - Martin Rees, UK Astronomer Royal and author of On the Future: Prospects for Humanity Ever since Ada Lovelace's first speculations way back in 1843, thinkers have debated whether computers can display bona fide artistic creativity. Miller's masterly volume brings the controversy well into the 21st century. The Artist in the Machine is by far the most current, comprehensive, and candid treatment available today. - Dean K. Simonton, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of California, Davis, and author of The Genius Checklist: Nine Paradoxical Tips about How You Can Become a Creative Genius