AI, Popular Culture, Semiotics

Abstract

The advent of advanced AI technologies has led to reassessments of the meaning of terms such as intelligence and creativity, given that AI systems now seem capable of creating virtually anything that humans can. AI-generated paintings, songs, films, videos, and ads are spreading throughout the realm of human culture, where they are received largely in a favorable way, even winning awards and going viral on social media—all of which suggests that the lines between human and machine creativity are becoming rather blurry. Advances in technology have always spurred on new artistic trends and genres in pop culture since at least the 1920s. However, never before in history has technology itself been able to create the cultural artifacts virtually by itself. This chapter will discuss the main implications of this watershed event, against the theoretical backdrop of semiotics as a science of meaning-making. Given that AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data from which they can create novel music, visual art, and films, the question of meaning and interpretation comes up constantly, as do the concepts of authenticity and authorship. We are clearly at a monumental crossroads, which is impelling us to reconsider our traditional views of creativity, culture, and human uniqueness, as well as what we mean by “popular culture.”

The thing that's going to make artificial intelligence so powerful is its ability to learn, and the way AI learns is to look at human culture.

—Dan Brown