Untimely Reflections #26: Andrei Georgescu (Artiexus) - Seedless Flowers & Materialist Theories of Creativity
Dec 12, 2023
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Andrei Georgescu, a writer, graphic designer, and podcaster, discusses the public reaction to AI-generated art and challenges the belief that creativity must come from a being with a soul. They explore the 'ugly duckling' theory of art and the dismissal of beautiful works produced by AI. The conversation moves to theories about art as communication, the origins of linguistic communication, and mapping the logical structures of language. They also touch on Nietzsche's perspective on consciousness and the limitations of perception.
AI challenges the notion of creativity coming only from beings with souls, opening up the possibility of creativity from metal and wires.
The perception of creativity as a mystical experience is shaped by background and conditioning, while creativity has a complex material basis.
Art serves as a form of non-verbal communication, emphasizing the importance of audience understanding and appreciation.
Language and art share a relationship, revealing the universal nature of logical relationships and the potential for cross-linguistic mapping.
Deep dives
Artistic creativity and the belief in AI replacing artists
The podcast episode explores the belief that AI technology will not make artists obsolete and emphasizes the importance of recognizing the human condition of always wanting more. The guest speaker shares personal experiences with AI technology and discusses how the demands and standards for art increase as tools become more powerful. The conversation highlights the cultural belief of valuing creativity and the potential threat AI poses to the artist's role in society.
The fetishization of creativity and the material basis of art
The podcast episode delves into the fetishization of creativity and the psychological and physiological basis of artistic expression. The conversation touches on the background and conditioning that shape the perception of creativity as a mystical experience and the idea of genius. It also explores the material basis of creativity, challenging the notion that a machine cannot create and highlighting the complexity of material things and the intricate processes involved in creativity.
The role of art in communication and the dialogue between artists and audience
The podcast episode discusses the role of art as a form of non-verbal communication and its relationship to language and other forms of communication. The conversation highlights the importance of the audience in the artistic process and the desire of artists to have their work appreciated and understood. It explores the challenges of effectively communicating through art and the limitations of the belief in art for art's sake.
Language as a form of communication and its relation to art
The podcast episode draws parallels between art and language as forms of communication and explores the correlation between different languages and their evaluations and judgments of the world. It dives into word embeddings and the statistical analysis of words, revealing the similarity and logical relationships between words in different languages. The conversation highlights the universal nature of logical relationships in language and the potential for cross-linguistic mapping.
The Evolution of Consciousness and the Power of Language
Consciousness is a natural phenomenon that has evolved over time, driven by the need for social interaction. It is a tool that has increased in complexity and power, allowing us to use symbols as tools to build better tools. The power of consciousness is evident in scientific discoveries, such as the understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum. However, Nietzsche denigrates consciousness, seeing it as a product of the herd and valuing the underlying essence of the individual. While Nietzsche's perspective has some aesthetic appeal, the idea that consciousness is a tool to be further developed and harnessed remains compelling.
The Limitations of Concepts and the Nature of Reality
Concepts are limited representations of reality, like snapshots that can't capture the dynamic nature of life. Nietzsche explores the idea that if each person had different sensory perceptions, reality would be subjective in the highest degree. However, science's ability to uncover repeatable truths and the success of theories like the electromagnetic spectrum demonstrate the orderliness and reliability of nature. Nietzsche's concern lies in recognizing the limitations of consciousness and its inclination towards static representations of reality. Overcoming these limitations and valuations imposed by consciousness can lead to a higher form of consciousness and power over the world.
The Appeal of Recognizing the Power of Consciousness
While Nietzsche emphasizes the limitations of consciousness, acknowledging its power is important. Consciousness allows us to understand and manipulate the world around us, as demonstrated by scientific discoveries. The ever-evolving nature of consciousness presents an opportunity for continuous growth and improvement. Recognizing the inherent power of consciousness and its potential for development is a meaningful perspective that challenges the notion of being complete and opens the door for further exploration and understanding.
I'd originally planned to launch into Deleuze this week, but I'm busy playing shows all weekend and decided to release this instead. I think this was a great episode, perhaps one of the best Untimely Reflections yet.
Andrei Georgescu is an old friend of the show. He's a writer, a graphic designer, and a podcaster. A few months ago, he published an essay called, "Seedless Flowers: Artificial Intelligence and Creativity Fetishism", in which he analyzes the public reaction to art created by artificial intelligence, and the popular prejudices about creativity. Artists tend to believe that creativity is something which has to come from a being with a soul, treating it as a magical happening that is somehow beyond the material reality. A.I. art challenges that viewpoint, demonstrating the possibility of creativity coming from a collection of metal and wires. We discuss the "ugly duckling" theory of art, in which we value the effort that went into the piece over the final product or the quality of the piece. Such ideas compel us to dismiss beautiful works that were produced or aided by artificial intelligence, while holding up sub-par works as 'true art'. Our conversation about art takes us into my theories about art as communication, the origins of linguistic communication, the possibility of mapping the logical structures of languages. Towards the end of the episode, we take a look at the passage of Nietzsche's from The Gay Science, entitled, "The Genius of the Species", and argue over the importance of consciousness.
We originally recorded a discussion about the article a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, fate was unkind and our first conversation about it was lost. I really kicked myself over that one, since it was my fault. Nevertheless, the timing was right to attempt it again, and I think we had a fascinating conversation. You can find some excellent video essays on his Youtube Channel, @Artiexus: https://www.youtube.com/@artiexus Andrei's article, the jumping-off point for this conversation: https://andreigeorgescu.ca/seedless-flowers-artificial-intelligence-and-creativity-fetishism/
Episode art: Prayer by Andrei Georgescu
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