Acclaimed Author Ted Chiang Argues AI Lacks the Essential Choices That Define True Art
Science-fiction writer Ted Chiang contends that generative AI remains a fundamentally dehumanizing technology that lowers creative expectations. He asserts that because art requires making a series of meaningful choices to communicate with an audience, algorithms can never produce genuine art.
Acclaimed science-fiction author Ted Chiang argues that no matter how advanced generative AI becomes, it will never create true art. In his latest article for The New Yorker, Chiang contends that the potential of large language models remains largely theoretical, noting that these tools primarily succeed at lowering our expectations for the things we read and for our own writing.
Chiang defines art as something that results from making a lot of choices, even if those choices do not lead to a masterpiece. He explains that the act of making these decisions creates a vital connection and an act of communication between the creator and their audience. Without this intentional decision-making process, the output lacks the fundamental essence of artistic expression.
Ultimately, Chiang views generative AI as a fundamentally dehumanizing technology because it treats people as less than they truly are. He emphasizes that humans bring meaning into the world through living their lives in interaction with others, and concludes that an auto-complete algorithm is simply incapable of replicating this deeply human experience.