Criss-crossing creativity: on creativity, Wittgenstein, and artificial intelligence

Thesis

Until lately, the view prevailed that creativity is the last stronghold of human supremacy, unconquerable by even the most intelligent machines. Yet, recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) cast doubt on this cherished conviction: there are now programmes that generate music in the style of famous composers or produce paintings that are displayed in renowned galleries. In the face of these awe-inspiring algorithmic achievements, this thesis pursues two main goals. First, it devises a new set of conceptual tools for analysing human creativity. It presents a novel practice-based account of creativity which captures the multifacetedness and distributed character of this phenomenon. Ludwig Wittgenstein’s later philosophy, especially his remarks on rule-following, serve as a crucial source of inspiration in this context. The framework that will be developed overcomes the shortcomings of existing definitions and theories that pervade the philosophical and scientific literature on creativity. Secondly, this thesis examines whether and to what extent creativity can legitimately be attributed to machines in the era of AI. It engages critically with influential objections to the notion of computational creativity and assesses the creative potential and limitations of state-of-the-art AI systems. The proposed approach challenges strong forms of anthropocentrism as well as the hyperbole evoked by recent developments in deep learning. So, the present work is not just a contribution to the emerging philosophy of creativity, but also to the blossoming philosophy of AI. The thesis concludes with a speculative exploration of possible conceptual futures for “creativity” in the face of potential future machines with superhuman creative powers.

Authors: Bozenhard, J

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-a4zxqb2yr
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: generative AI; Wittgenstein; creativity; AI; artificial intelligence
• Subjects: Philosophy; Artificial Intelligence; Philosophy of Creativity; Philosophy of AI; Aesthetics