By now most of us are well aware of the growing presence of AI in our everyday lives. This being said, there is still one sector which AI has not yet deeply infiltrated: humanities and the arts. Experts are therefore examining not only the ways in which AI could influence the arts, but whether it actually should. From paintings and music crafted by AI, to making our research easier, AI’s applicability in the arts is seemingly boundless... but should art really be limited to what is efficient?

How can you maximize the utility of art?

Is it possible to reduce music to one optimal note for eternity, or choose an optimal color for a canvas? Could we discover one supreme painting or symphony that is somehow better than the rest? Art is not about efficiency or optimization, art is about human expression-- and expression should be limitless.

While technology is designed to optimise every possible human operation, the problem within the arts is that it’s less clear what it means to be optimal, or even why optimization is necessary, as it is in other industries. Unlike traditional business sectors, the arts have always possessed an element of humanness-- of creativity, and we could even go so far as saying a connection to something greater than ourselves, which lends itself to a very different set of priorities. Within the arts, there are therefore other virtues valued over efficiency.

Should Artificial Intelligence Be Used in the Arts?

While it’s clear AI will eventually win the war against us humans, it doesn’t mean that we have to give up without a fight...at least when it comes to the arts. The fact is, we will soon have to consider the real ethical challenges of technology and what it means for human values.

When it comes to the arts, it's essential that we venture away from the technological determinism which maintains that humanity is somehow bound to a path pushed forward by AI's optimization methods. We still have a choice, but will we have the strength to take the road less travelled?

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