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ART and AI
Why does a portrait artist get credit for painting a face that he did not create? The face was there. The artist merely transcribed it. Some people are better at transcribing faces than others. Does that make them artists? Apparently so. But why?
A great pianist plays Chopin. Who’s the artist? Chopin, certainly. But the pianist? Apparently so. But why?
Everyone has heard about ChatGPT and other AI systems that generate content. I am going to stick with ChatGPT, but only as an example. What I say about the user-instrument relationship is the same for any content generating AI system. To use ChatGPT, you tell it to write something for you that meets parameters in your instruction. ChatGPT remembers the conversation, so you ask it to edit its own work. For example:
Tell me why exercise is good for me in about 100 words.
Exercise is beneficial for overall health and well-being. It helps to improve cardiovascular fitness, increase muscle and bone strength, and boost energy levels. Regular physical activity can also reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Additionally, exercise can have positive effects on mental health, such as reducing stress and anxiety, and improving mood and cognitive function. It also helps to improve sleep quality…