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AI: Creativity & Imagemaking
By Robert Hirsch and Edward Bateman
The start of a conversation on AI, creativity and imagemaking.
I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.
When Dr. David Bowman commands Hal 9000 computer to open
the pod bay doors after HAL has locked him outside of the spacecraft.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Stanley Kubrick.

Figure 1.1 Hal 9000 computer, 1968. Variable dimensions. Digital file. Warner Bros. Pictures.
Caption: HAL 9000 is a fictional artificial intelligence character and the primary antagonist in Arthur C. Clark’s Space Odyssey series. First appearing in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film: 2001: A Space Odyssey. HAL, a Heuristic Programmed Algorithmic Computer, is a sentient computer that controls the systems of the United States Spacecraft Discovery One and interacts with the ship’s astronaut crew. HAL introduced itself by saying, “No 9000 computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information. We are all, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error.” Programmed to flawlessly run the mission, HAL’s behavior became increasingly suspicious. While the astronauts were speaking confidentially in a pod, Hal read their lips through a window and learned of their plan to disconnect him. Believing he was protecting the mission, Hal responded with calm and calculating neutrality by killing one astronaut and attempting to abandon the other out in the vacuum of space. We have a long history of fear and mistrust of our own creations stretching from the golem in Jewish lore to Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” (1818) and the cinematic worlds of “The Terminator” (1984) and “The Matrix” (1999).
There is something haunting about H.G. Wells’ description of machine intelligence in his 1898 book War of the Worlds. “…minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes…” These intellects that we confront today are disembodied – and of our own making: Artificial Intelligences (AI). For our purposes, intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.
There is a digital gold rush taking place, where large and small technology corporations as well as universities are investing heavily in AI, hoping to strike the mother-load. Even technologies that have nothing directly to do with AI are joining in the hype for fear of being left behind amid a mixture of competition, opportunity, risk, and occasionally, speculative frenzy.
Historic gold rush events often reshaped local economies and societies, but also led to conflicts with those whose territories were being encroached upon. Predictions of what AI might mean range from the apocalyptic to the utopian. This has caused concern in disciplines that rely on creativity as part of their productivity and value, such as photography, graphic design, illustration and the motion picture industry.
Some fear that AI will surpass our human intellectual and creative abilities. While intelligence remains difficult to define, we humans remain its measure. Biological intelligence, with its imagination, unconscious influences, hopes, and drive for innovation, are likely to remain vital. Although computers can defeat chess and Go masters, people continue to play and value these games for the challenges and benefits they present to the human mind.

Figure 1.2 Henrique Alvim Corrêa. H.G. Wells War of the Worlds. Illustration. Variable
dimensions. Digital file.
Caption: In 1903, Henrique Alvim Corrêa executed a series of 32 notable illustrations, which were inserted in H. G. Wells’ book War of the Worlds (serialized 1895 – 1897). With the author’s approval, Corrêa’s work was published in a luxury edition of 500 copies in 1906 by L. Vandamme & Cie in a French translation by H.D. Davray. Wells considered these illustrations superior to the original ones done by Warwick Goble.
Could human creativity itself be a risk? Art making and creativity are considered defining aspects of humanity. Art made in the Upper Paleolithic era is considered a sign that they were beings like us. We have never before encountered intelligence, the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills, separated from embodiment and sentience. Is this the nature of AI and is it a threat to our deeply held beliefs in what makes humans unique on this planet? Or is it an evolution of our tool creation and use as in photography’s transition from a chemical process to a digital one? Already, AI is source of readily accessible information, akin to an enhanced Google search, on almost any topic.

Figure 1.3 Bison Magdalenian polychrome, from the Altamira cave complex, circa 36,000 BC. Variable dimensions. Digital file.
Caption: The Cave of Altamira in Spain, famous for its Upper Paleolithic cave paintings featuring drawings and polychrome rock paintings of bison, human hands, and wild mammals. Altamira was the first cave in which prehistoric cave paintings were discovered.
This series of essays will examine the nature of creativity and how AI’s capabilities might impact artists and makers.

Figure 1.4 © Harold Cohen. London at the Tate, 1983. 22 x 30 inches. Ink on paper.
Caption: Harold Cohen stated: “I write programs. Programs make drawings.” Using computers from the 1970’s at Stanford’s Artificial Intelligence Lab, Cohen developed a suite of programs, known as AARON, which could create his art without assistance.
Predicting the future is always a fraught and risky proposition, but that is not our intention. We hope that a deep dive into the human act of creativity will enhance our understanding of how this evolving technology can be understood and utilized. AI itself will be a participant in these essays. When queried, AI responded with:
The effect of AI on art and artists is transformative. AI tools have enabled artists to explore new creative possibilities, from generative art to automated processes. However, concerns about the impact on artistic expression and the role of human artists remain. It is a dynamic landscape that prompts reflection on the relationship between technology and creativity.

Figure 1.5 © Nancy Burson. Mankind, 1983-1985. 11 x 14 inches, Gelatin silver print. Rose Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Caption: Nancy Burson challenged photographic truth at the beginning of digital manipulation. Burson’s pioneering work in age enhancement of the human face was utilized by law enforcement officials to help locate missing children and adults. Her “Human Race Machine” (2000) lets people view themselves as a different race. It has been used as an educational diversity tool that provides users with an introspective visual experience of being another race.
From an artist’s perspective, we will ask questions and provide context about what is actually being created, how the work circulates, and how viewers are responding to it. Will AI become another resource in an innovative toolbox that encourages experimentation and risk taking or will it be another example of technology dehumanizing the creative process? Photographically speaking, how might AI affect the way photo-based imagery is perceived and interpreted?
Additionally, we envision these essays as an engaging collaboration that goes beyond our own current knowledge and generates a synergy. Just as we can’t predict the future, we don’t know where these essays will take us, which is a significant reason for pursuing them.

Figure 1.6 Max Headroom, 1985. Variable dimensions. Digital file.
Caption: Advertised as “the first computer-generated TV host” and media personality, Max was actually an actor wearing prosthetic makeup, contact lenses, a plastic molded suit, and who was sitting in front of a blue screen. You may view the original Max Headroom video on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6epzmRZk6UU
Socratic Dialogue Meets the Turning Test
A Socratic dialogue is a conversation that involves questions and answers as a form of critical thinking. The Turning Test, named after computer pioneer Alan Turing, is a thought experiment that measures a machine’s ability to exhibit human-like intelligence through the simple question: Can a human tell if they are in a dialogue with another human or a computer?
When we turn the tables on AI and ask: How do you know I am not an AI talking with you? AI responded with: I actually don’t know for certain! You could very well be an AI, especially given the precise and curiosity-driven nature of your questions. And AI goes on to remind us that questions like these are a two-way street: Intriguingly, some computer systems today already use a form of reverse Turing Test, such as CAPTCHAs, where a system challenges a user to prove they’re human by interpreting images or solving problems that are easy for humans but hard for machines.

Figure 1.7 CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart), 2024. Variable dimensions. Digital file.
Caption: CAPTCHAs are tools designed to differentiate between real users and automated users, such as bots. CAPTCHAs provide challenges that are difficult for computers to perform but relatively easy for humans. For example, identifying stretched letters or numbers, clicking in a specific area or identifying objects of a designated type (such as bicycles) in a gris of small images.
Our first essay will address the nature of creativity, introduce the format, and define terms. Additional essays will build on the nature of creativity, how it is reflected in photo-based imagery, and how AI’s impact might influence these models.
We hope to be as surprised as our readers by what we discover in these essays.

Figure 1.8 Salmon Swimming Upstream, 2022. Variable dimensions. Digital file.
Caption: AI generated materials often offer numerous surprises.
We plan to entertain questions and feedback from our readers. For more information on the authors visit:
Edward Bateman http://www.ebateman.com
Robert Hirsch https://lightresearch.net/light/