Computational creativity is an interdisciplinary field that explores the potential for computers and algorithms to exhibit creative behaviors and generate novel, valuable outputs.
It blends concepts from artificial intelligence, cognitive science, psychology, and the arts to understand and simulate the creative processes observed in humans.
In computational creativity, the emphasis is not solely on mimicking human creativity but also on exploring new forms of creativity enabled by computational systems. These systems can generate original ideas, artworks, music compositions, stories, and more, often in collaboration with human creators.
One approach to computational creativity involves the use of generative algorithms and techniques such as evolutionary computation, neural networks, and genetic algorithms. These algorithms can explore vast solution spaces, adapt to feedback, and produce diverse and unexpected outcomes.
Another aspect of computational creativity involves the development of interactive systems that engage users in creative processes.
These systems may provide tools, prompts, or constraints to inspire creativity and facilitate exploration, enabling users to generate, modify, and evaluate creative artifacts collaboratively with the computer.
Examples of Computational Creativity
Computational creativity is a fascinating field that explores how computers can exhibit creative behaviors. Here are some examples across various domains:
Art Generation
- DeepDream: Developed by Google, DeepDream is a neural network visualization technique that generates psychedelic images by enhancing patterns it recognizes in existing images.
- GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks): GANs are capable of generating realistic images by pitting two neural networks against each other. One network generates images, while the other critiques them, leading to the refinement of the generator network’s output.
- AARON: A program developed by Harold Cohen to create art autonomously. AARON has been creating drawings and paintings since the 1970s.
Music Composition
A great example of this is the Magenta Project, an open-source research project by Google that explores machine learning’s potential in creating art and music. It has produced compositions ranging from simple melodies to complex symphonies.
Writing and Storytelling
- Botnik Studios: A collective that uses predictive text algorithms to generate humorous and surreal content, including songs, stories, and scripts.
- Sunspring: A short film created by Oscar Sharp and Ross Goodwin, where the script was entirely generated by an AI trained on various sci-fi screenplays.
Game Design
- No Man’s Sky: Although not solely driven by AI, No Man’s Sky utilizes procedural generation algorithms to create a vast and diverse universe filled with planets, flora, and fauna.
- Angelina: A project by Michael Cook that designs simple video games. Angelina analyzes existing games and generates new game concepts based on this analysis.
Design and Creativity Assistance
- Adobe Sensei: Adobe’s AI platform offers various creative tools, including content-aware fill in Photoshop, auto lip-syncing in Character Animator, and more.
- The Grid: A web design platform that uses AI to automatically generate websites based on user preferences, content, and design principles.
These examples showcase how computational creativity is being applied across different domains, pushing the boundaries of what machines can achieve creatively.
