Generative AI systems - the new art factory?

Art and technology, throughout the ages have had a close relationship whereby technology has influenced and facilitated works by artists and designers. The new materials of twentieth-century technology, for example, provided both the means and the inspiration for the three-dimensional works of the Russian Constructivists. László Moholy-Nagy, the painter and photographer of Bauhaus fame, argued for the integration of industry and art and suggested it would be ideal to ring up a factory and order one's art according to specifications. Andy Warhol, known for The Factory (his studio), created works using Amiga computers in the 1980s and is quoted saying, 'I want to be a machine, and I feel that whatever I do and do machine-like is what I want do to. I think everybody should be a machine.' And now, text-to-image generators built on huge data sets - and whether Open Source or Closed Source LLMs - search for images not yet created. changing how today’s creatives will likely produce, or co-produce their work. So there's a long history of artists inspired by and adapting to technology and even led by technology. But when art is reduced to a use case (list of actions) for technology, are we bound to a proliferation of shallow artistic engagement, asks Simon Kenny, an independent researcher and educator. https://medium.com/@skenwrites/the-art-of-ai-prompt-engineering-dd4f23138f7a.

AI facilitates ideation across cultures

Generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT can help designers not only generate but also communicate ideas and whether in spoken, written or visual forms, or combinations thereof. Moreover, chatbots can be particularly helpful to designers for whom English is a second language and so enabling them to focus on the creative content of their idea. That is, human language (spoken and written), although supple and flexible, does not always fully capture the richness of ideas while remaining mindful of the interrelationship between concepts and lived experience. So the original state of the idea might get diffused, distorted or lost in translation from one language to another, notably when it comes to cultural nuances or idiomatic expressions. This highlights why spoken or written words need to be supplemented or supported by images in the ideation process (multi-modal communication). Generative artificial intelligence, then, is becoming an influential and practical design tool in the development of ideas and ideas communication.

TikTok ideation tool

TikTok, the short-form video platform, has, in its latest iteration, added the notion of ideation to its new Creative Assistance. That is, in TikTok's marketing jargon: 'Creative Assistance is an AI-powered virtual assistant designed to intelligently collaborate with brands and creators throughout their creative journey on TikTok  ... through never-ending ideation and brainstorm sessions'. As with generative AI in general, TikTok's Creative Assistance works through prompts input to generate or refine scripts and images. That is, creative prompts yield creative outputs. Creativity, however, in its deeper sense often requires a more open and explorative approach than AI algorithms can offer. That is, to use generative AI effectively, and ethically human involvement is needed at both the beginning and the end of the process involving not only prompting, editing and iteration but also curiosity and compassion. In other words, it is human creativity that is giving shape to AI systems, not the other way around. Yet AI is already embedded in everyday software and so, like all technology, what matters is how AI is put into practice.

Sketch, ideate, communicate

One of the main benefits of the sketch, and whether drawn on paper or e-tablet is that it gives full play to the imagination that is foundational to creativity. It captures the essence of the idea, helps clarify design intention both in the sketcher's own mind and that of their audience (colleagues, clients etc). Sketching, then, is a fast and efficient way of communicating first thoughts and ideas. And so sketching helps conceive, elucidate and articulate design ideas, and whenever there's a need to quickly "sort things out" in the design process. As a thinking tool, sketching encourages the freedom of simplicity and helps develop a sense of creative self. And the iterative nature of sketching, going backwards and forwards channels new thoughts and ideas. And although ideas are either endorsed, rejected or modified, in their sketchiness they are often adaptable to new, different or emergent contexts.

The Magician

On a lighthearted, and imaginative note, let's draw, interpret and reflect on a single Tarot card. And so, the Magician - a beautiful card signalling a magical, creative, inspiring times ahead. Make something! Design or invent something! Pitch an idea! People will listen to what you have to share, and they will love  your ideas. You will get the green light during this period if you make the proposal now. The Magician shows you stepping into your power, feeling like you’ve got talent and skill, and wanting to manifest something with it. You want to make a living based on what you’re uniquely good at. It’s time to shine! The Magician, then, like the ideator, is interested in new ways and finding solutions that are not yet imagined, as well as products not yet built. They are an idea-driven powerhouse, thriving on vision and intuition - a force for transformation and innovation through ideas.- everywhere, anytime.

Chatbot creativity

Web-based search engines are commonly used as an ideation tool. Yet their longtime dominant position has attracted sponsored content fuelled by "search engine optimisation" techniques which are pushing down genuinely useful results. In response, chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini are poised to shake up how traditional online search works. That is, rather than typing in a string of keywords, chatbots are conversational or interactive agents using natural language that provide instant response to the user. But there's a catch. Whereas most of these chatbots have free versions, they typically limit the number of queries that can be made. So, chatbot platform providers offer premium levels that provide smarter chatbots with additional features which, however, have to be paid for. A usage-paid pricing model, however, and particularly in education, raises the question of users' equal access to chatbots, as paid versions unlock privileged access. Another concern with the use of chatbots is that, and unlike conventional online search producing matter-of-fact results, they have been known for providing deceptively convincing responses, known as “hallucinations". In fact, chatbot generated content may be inaccurate or false. The new generative AI tools, then, open a can of worms regarding accuracy, trustworthiness, bias, hallucination and plagiarism - ethical issues that pose risks to human interaction, performance and equality. But used responsibly, chatbots can assist in stimulating, provoking, and reviewing thoughts and ideas. In short, the extensive knowledge base that chatbots build upon can be a very useful ideation tool. Indicative source:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2713374523000250

The medium is the message?

'In a culture like ours,' wrote Marshall McLuhan (1964) 'long accustomed to splitting and dividing all things as a means of control, it is sometimes a bit of a shock to be reminded that, in operational and practical fact, the medium is the message.' That is to say, the medium that is used for communication is more important than the actual message itself. More important?, or rather that the value of any message should be viewed through the medium by which it is communicated? What ,then, does McLuhan's expression mean for ideation in the digital age? Is the idea the medium, or the message? Or, both? In human-technology relationships, does ideation reflect the ethos of modernity to transform ourselves, our ideas and the material world through technology? Or, in post-digital society, does it suggest design can be perceived purely as a conceptual medium liberated from the need of realisation? If so, are designers conceptualisers first, and makers second, if makers at all? Discuss.

AI: creative vox populi?

Generative AI is being promoted as a tool for creating new ideas, or augmenting content such as audio, text, images, and video, which is often shared on social media platforms, such as Instagram or TikTok. Indeed ideas are content. But more than this, generative AI has the potential to democratise design allowing greater participation in decisions around societal innovation. However, new ideas or content thus generated may not be that original but rather reconfigured versions of something done in the past. In fact, much creative content on media platforms is about remaking existing ideas, or piggy-backing off the creativity of others. Moreover, as generative AI is apt at generating variations of ideas, this may lead to a feedback loop where AI generates content that is already popular or proven to be successful on social media. That is, generative AI is socially embedded giving a boost to creative vox populi. Yet what is originality in the age of AI?  Revisiting older ideas, however, can be fruitful in problem solving ("what's wrong"), or in solution finding ("what's right"). That is, the circularity of ideas, in which each idea is revisited at intervals, at a more sophisticated level each time may help generate ideas for the emergent circular economy, defined as an industrial economy that is restorative or regenerative by value and design.

Train of thought

Train of thought, as understood by Thomas Hobbes, the English philosopher (1588-1679) was the succession of one thought to another. A train of thought, then, refers to the interconnection of a sequence, series or succession of thoughts or events. It may also refer to a path of reasoning. Or, how this sequence leads from one idea to another. The sequence, however, is not necessarily a linear one. And so, and notably in ideation, the sequence is rarely straightforward but rather an iterative or cyclical process, of trial-and-error. However, train of thought can also be interpreted literally. For example, Charles Dickens, the English novelist (1812-1870) found that, on a train journey, observing from a railway carriage was 'always a wonderful suggestive place'. Indeed, there are many places and spaces - and activities that can inspire creativity or trigger imagination, from the inherent character of nature to divers social or cultural settings. Indeed, the more unique or unusual the physical spaces or place, or unconventional the activity, on their own or in imaginative combinations, the greater the chance to set in motion pioneering thoughts or breakthrough ideas.

Idea curation

The rapid advancement of generative AI may suggest that AI and automation could replace entry-level designers, that is, designers whose main tasks are with creating repetitive designs. But even more senior designers might be at risk as their roles are becoming impacted of AI which is capable of keeping up with the latest design trends and fulfil the needs of mainstream clients,. One approach to turning the risk into opportunity could be designers adapting to a new role where they can act as curators of AI-generated products and services, rather than being sole ideators themselves. That is, using AI as a tool, pulling and filtering ideas from as many places and people as possible (sourcing, organising and prioritising) and then, in conversation with others (sharing insights), asserting and selecting the best. In this way, AI can augment creativity as well as making it more challenging. Indeed, many designers prefer using generative AI over working without it, and they collaborate more effectively when using it. AI-proofed designers, then, may be those whose ideas are crafted and curated with AI integrated in their workflow.

Blank canvas

The idiom "blank canvas" traditionally refers to a painter's canvas that has yet to be painted on. As such it implies the canvas can be easily filled with entirely new things, or, a metaphor for limitless possibilities. But when anything is possible, where to begin? This highlights the reality of most design activities which are full of constraints as expressed in the design brief (objective, site, time, budget etc). Limitation, then, forces the designer to embrace constraints imposed by the design brief. Paradoxically, then, constraint heightens rather than feebles the ideation process. That is, constraint acts as a driver for innovation, not unlike the proverb "necessity is the mother of innovation", or, "if someone really needs to do something, they will find a way of doing it."