Why AI Art Won't Replace Human Artists Any Time Soon

Artifical intelligence is beginning to take over a number of more mundane tasks in a variety of different industries, ranging from cleaning chores to industrial tasks. While robots and software are usually created to fill some sort of perceived need, sometimes they are created to explore the limits of artificial intelligence; some of these projects have some interesting applications. AI art is one of these latter, where programmers were curious if they could replicate the human creative process.

This has caused a lot of concern in the art world, and it has caused a lot of hand-wringing from artists, especially illustrators and painters. While some of this worry is well-placed, the reality is that the software will never replace human artists. Here are some good reasons why that is more than just positive thoughts.

They Can't Beat Human Adaptability

A huge part of being human is adapting to unusual situations. While a lot of us tend to solve problems in the most familiar way (the proverbial "when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail"), some of us acquire a wide range of tools as get older; this gives us a wide range of potential ways to solve a wide range of problems. Better yet, we also look at ways of using our tools in different ways; we have no problem using a coin as a screwdriver, for example.

We look at ways of using our tools to solve problems as they present themselves, and are not afraid to adjust what we have to the situation at hand.

Conversely, a computer can only use tools in the way those tools have been defined. The coin can only be used as currency, maybe as a random decision-maker; using it as a screwdriver would be beyond its programming. The computer is unlikely to realize the full potential of its tools the same way a human can; this allows him to use those tools in ways the computer would never realize until the human does so, and even then it may be slow in making the same leaps of logic a human would, such as adding multiple functions to the same tool. This adaptability alone should help us win most contests against a computer.

Computers Have Limits

The biggest problem a computer has is that it's limited to its programming; even a computer with the ability to learn and thus program itself has limited parameters. While it was mentioned above, it needs to be brought home: The computer is unlikely to ever exceed its programming. If it was designed to dig and can't figure out what to dig, it's useless. If it was designed to build cars and it doesn't see car parts, it has no idea how to proceed; it will likely shut down until it has some car parts to deal with. This limited functionality, this inability to exceed its programming will always be the biggest problem facing an artificial intelligence and give the advantage to a more adaptable human.

Humans Evolve Faster

The upshot of this is human thinking will tend to evolve faster. Computers will tend to stick to the river that they are used to; they have no real choice. Humans will go looking for new rivers; they need to explore new vistas. This means that while a computer will only adapt as needed and usually requires some sort of assistance to do even that, most humans are always looking to either expand their capabilities or add to their toolbox; they are always pushing themselves to see what they can do.

Because of this curiosity to see what they can do, humans are more likely to evolve on a personal level, giving them more tools to deal with anything that comes up. It also means that they have more worlds to explore; an artist, for example, is only limited to a particular style or even tool if they want to be limited that way. While computers can learn new tricks (such as the chess computer that learned to cheat), they do need to be shown the way; it can't be merely suggested, it needs to be shown (in the case of the cheating computer, the chess masters playing it screwed up their moves while the move-checker was disengaged and the computer saw that it didn't need to stick to the rules either).

This gives humans an advantage when it comes to finding a solution; they can go on the merest suggestion of a solution or develop a whole new skillset as needed while the computer must be upgraded or shown how to do it.

Humans Create Their Own Tools

If a human artist was lost in the woods and wanted to express himself, he'd find a way. He could create a drum using a stick and a stump, dyes from plants or blood, weave together fronds to form baskets, or mold clay found at the river could be molded into pottery. Even when it comes to food, most humans can figure out how to hunt or fish, start a fire, or even which foods are safe to eat. While a lot of people have these skills already, most people can figure them out over time, sometimes just from hearing about them, sometimes even improvising tools if the need is great enough.

This is why how-to and survival books will always be popular; people use them to help build their skillset or inspire them in an emergency.

Computers lack that capability. They are limited to the skills that they are programmed with and cannot create tools. This is why some robots are programmed with as many options as possible; once a robot has been let go, it is limited to whatever it has been programmed and built to do until it has been upgraded by an outside force. They can't learn new skills in the field, nor can they create tools to deal with problems as they come up. Thus, while a human can create whatever tools it needs to solve a problem, a computer can't.

They Can't Appreciate What They Do

It may seem obvious, but even the worst philistine can appreciate most art. That is, most people can appreciate the play of colors and how they create some form of visual pattern beyond the colors just as sounds can be arranged so that they create some sort of emotional effect. Even the best artificial intelligence can only graph the information; they can't appreciate the emotional effect of the art or music. This means that they can't appreciate what they are creating; there is no link between the process of creation and its output. This means that there is no reason to see what they can really do; they have no reason to push themselves while humans push themselves just to see what happens.

What This Means for Artists

With all of this combined, it's unlikely that artificial will ever take over human's place at the top. They can't adapt to most situations due to their innate limits while humans can not only learn new skills to deal with the situation but also create tools as needed. The need for humans to push themselves means that they have a wider range of skills to pull from while computers are experts in a very narrow range of skills. The lack of appreciation for their output means that they have no reason to get better.

While computers can possibly do better than us in some regards, a Skynet situation is unlikely; the computers are likely to eventually fail when competing against humans. There's no real reason to fear the technology; while a computer can do a specific skill or even a small range of skills better than a human, they can't match the range of skills a human has mastered or that the human can learn. Thus, while they may cost some humans some jobs, they won't replace humans wholesale. While this makes artificial intelligence a great tool, that's all it is; it is just a matter of figuring out the most effective way to use it.