Can AI See as We Do?
AI now generates art and music so convincing that people often cannot tell the difference. A Guess ad in Vogue introduced a model who never existed, igniting criticism that engineered ideals erase real diversity. Alan Turing once asked whether machines could think; today the debate extends to creating, which is not quite the same thing. Cubist art can be replicated pixel for pixel, but will humans appreciate it when no eye or hand wrestled with reality to make it? Walter Benjamin argued that art’s aura lies in human history and imperfection. Yet models can still be tuned: present new works to audiences, poll their responses, and adjust. Perception from a human perspective can be captured, even if never embodied. Can a model trained on feedback truly grasp what inspires us?
Anonymous photographer, The Cubist Room, Armory Show, Chicago, 1913. Public domain.(Note: The Cubist Room at the 1913 Armory Show challenged viewers’ perception, much like AI does today).