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19.2 Computational Creativity as Computational Generation
of Novel Artefacts
Over the years working in this field, as a result of many hours digesting models,
understanding practical applications and discussing theories, and being exposed to
many bright minds engaged in this field, I have come to develop an abstract mental
schema that acts as underpinning structure on which to hang ideas about computa-
tional creativity. When a new idea appeared that did not match the existing structure,
I adjusted the conceptual schema a little. In order to accommodate the wealth of
material that the field has produced over time, this structure became more and more
abstract, to encompass new ideas, new views, and new relevant aspects that we had
not considered at the start. As one does when abstracting away from specifics, this
process has also created a number of gaps in the structure, where it has become clear
that certain aspects, equivalent or parallel to existing ones, need to be developed.
I will describe this conceptual structure in order to use it both for exploring the
potential for evolution of existing initiatives in CC, and to outline some additional
avenues of research that may be of interest in the future.
19.2.1 A Conceptual Schema for Computational Artefact
Generation
There is no consensus of what creativity is or how it may be defined
1
.Butwe
can build some kind of consensual understanding of what computational creativity
might involve by exploring our shared intuitions by means of some simple thought
experiments.
Let us focus for the time being on the computational aspects that would be involved
in autonomous automated artefact generation.
Assume we want to create apples. From a computational point of view, we would
have to identify a set of necessary ingredients, and establish a constructive procedure
for putting them together into “apple candidates”. The set of all possible “apple candi-
dates” that can be produced by a given set of ingredients and a constructive procedure
is what may be called the conceptual space being explored [
1
]. Our initial attempts
might produce artefacts that do not look like apples at all. As we progressively refine
our selection of ingredients and our constructive procedure, we may arrive at a point
where some of the artefacts we are producing start to resemble apples. These can
now be picked out as successful results. There are actually two ways of doing this.
1
Throughout the present chapter I have deliberately tried to make restricted use of the word
“creativity” in the description of the schema employed as reference. Yet it is my sincere belief that
the schema as presented captures many of the fundamental aspects that people have in mind when
they mention the word “creativity”. Either way, I have superimposed this schema as a grid on the
current landscape of computational creativity, to provide a reference that can be used to explain
what I think has been achieved already, what is being addressed by ongoing work, and what is work
that remains for the future. My hope is that, having avoided the C-word—that triggers so many
spurious discussions—in favour of more fundamental aspects of the process, it might be easier for
people to accept the basic view and concentrate on the arguments beyond it.
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