Machine vs Man – which one is more creative?
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Machine vs Man – which one is more creative?

Surely a machine can’t be as creative as a human? They don’t have emotions or dreams. But what if there were a creative machine? What impact might that have on the world around us?

A new report from SogetiLabs Infinite Machine Creativity urges us to rethink creativity; to embrace machine creativity. The report examines the journey from students wondering whether computers can use their fantasy, to the development of a new breed of artificial intelligence (AI) known as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs).

It describes how GANs have recently proven to deliver original and effective ideas. These two keywords combined define the word creativity.  So, your ideas around creativity should be reset. Machines can be creative, but in a different way to humans, since machines lack a soul, a drive, a consciousness.

The report examines the huge potential to accelerate innovation when the human soul and the creative machine come together. It argues that those organizations able to figure out how creative machines and creative people can collaborate will be the inventors and the creators of tomorrow.

We are already witnessing machines that compress the time to create and make discoveries. A potential cure for long-term disease in months, not 10 years of drug development? It sounds impossible, but recent announcements suggest this is on its way thanks to GANs.

The key lies in the G of GANs – generative. Combine it with AI and you get generative artificial intelligence that “generates” something. Add in self-learning neural networks that compete against each other (adversaries) and the process of rapid creation is under way.

The Infinite Machine Creativity report describes several GAN examples across science, design, industry and architecture, as well as in art and media. It compares the creativity limitations of a soulless machine and mankind, arguing that bringing together humans and machines could ultimately increase the creative capacity in society. How? GANs make hidden knowledge visible and point us to things that need to be investigated further. They help us to use people's creative abilities in the right way.

The report is a fascinating analysis of a rapidly evolving area of technology. It draws a series of conclusions and presents seven dreams (good and bad) putting machine creativity into perspective for today’s CIO.

Download Infinite Machine Creativity.

Authors
  • Menno van Doorn
    Menno van Doorn
    Director of VINT/SogetiLabs
    +31 6 51 27 09 85
  • Thijs Pepping
    Thijs Pepping
    Trend Analyst, VINT/SogetiLabs
    +31 6 2709 0203