Is artificial intelligence (AI) a threat to creativity? A 2023 article published by Medium explored the potential threat of AI and whether it could one day usurp human creativity. Author Erik Torres argues that AI can “generate creative outputs”, but it can’t replicate the “human experience that goes into creating art”.
That’s an interesting take on the debate. The human experience can’t be discounted when it comes to creative endeavours, whatever form they take. However, the counter to Torres’ point is that the human experience doesn’t matter if something taps into a trend. Indeed, that’s why things go viral on social media.
Turning Trends into Creative Products
Software developers are acutely aware of this. The latest tech innovations are often based on trends and user data. Let’s consider a left-field example. Software developers in the gambling industry have been innovating for over 20 years in an effort to keep up with changing tech trends. A notable innovation in recent years is Slingo. Taking the best parts of slots and bingo, popular Slingo games at Paddy Power and other online casinos, such as Cleopatra and Capital Gains, show how data informs creativity in gaming.
For example, what you get with a game such as Slingo Cleopatra is the chance to pick your stake and spin a reel. That reel reveals five random numbers. If these numbers match any on your card, they get marked. If you mark off all the numbers on three or more lines, you win prizes. It’s that simple. This dynamic is a result of developers combining two popular trends within the gaming industry. How do we know this? Well, we can look at data from the UK Gambling Commission.
Remote (online) gambling revenue in the year to November 2023 was £6.5 billion. Of that figure, online casino gaming accounted for £4 billion and £3.2 billion from slots specifically. Bingo isn’t quite as popular as slots, with online revenue topping £173.6 million during the latest accounting period. However, when non-remote (live) revenue is taken into account, the gross gambling yield for bingo is over £700 million.
Developers have access to these figures, just as we do. They also have access to activity data from casinos. They can see the games people are playing, how long they’re playing for, and the amounts they’re wagering. Using this information, they’ve deduced that slots and bingo are popular. Therefore, a mash-up of the two should be popular. A great example of this is Slingo Cleopatra.
Unquantifiable vs. Data-Driven Creativity
As a slot game, Cleopatra is popular with players around the world. Slingo Cleopatra gives players a new way to enjoy a game they’re already familiar with. This, in turn, improves their experience at an online casino. In terms of creativity, this example demonstrates the power of data. Yes, there’s an element of creativity to Slingo, but it’s creativity driven by trends and data rather than some unquantifiable human experience. This is what Torres is referring to in his article.
AI could come up with a game such as Slingo because it’s simply a convergence of products based on readily available information. That doesn’t mean it’s not creative. It is. However, it’s possibly not creative in the ways we know it. As humans, we attach a certain reverence to creative endeavours. An ethereal, untouchable force that’s only accessible for a fleeting moment. Indeed, there’s more than a grain of truth to the saying “a flash of inspiration”. We view creativity as something that comes out of nowhere but is formed through a series of personal experiences.
AI systems can’t replicate this. However, could it be that creativity isn’t so ethereal after all? Could it simply be the summation of data? If that’s the case, AI could be a threat to creative people around the world. We may know more as AI evolves. It may reveal something about the true nature of creativity, or it may continue to provide an acceptable façade of creativity.
