Final Abstract

The future of illustration lies within the power of Artificial Intelligence. Untapped imagination potential can be unlocked by embracing chance in co-creation with AI, enhancing creativity within illustration.

The difficult process of creative and imaginative thinking can be explored alongside artificial intelligence by unpacking theories in the art movements of Conceptual artists, Conditional designers and Surrealists. Conceptual artists and Conditional designers both conceptualise a method of working in which the idea and process behind a work are more important than the finished work. Embracing rules and constriction within the process can stimulate creativity in an unexplored way. The surrealists believed that the power of imagination was constrained by the rational mind. Only by embracing chance and allowing the subconscious to take control could the true potential be unlocked. 

These theories can be applied within illustration, using the power of Artificial intelligence to access a new ‘plane’ of thinking which allows for unexpected creation. Could the concept of unlocking imagination manifest itself in co-created illustration techniques with the computer, where the machine brain takes the place of the subconscious? 

In a rapidly expanding and technologically advancing world, artificial intelligence has already reached superhuman capabilities in some tasks and is on a path towards true machine creativity. This incredible advancement has opened up a whole new space full of untapped creativity and imagination for creative minds. Currently, the computer is primarily relegated to use as a tool for creation, controlled by the human. By employing co-creation methods and embracing the idea of chance when illustrating along-side the machine, new levels of creativity and imagination can already be achieved with current technology. Collaboration with Artificial Intelligence allows an unexplored and unpredictable method of working in this way which can enhance Illustration. 

If the computer was able to think creatively like a human (or even beyond) and was allowed equal freedom and contribution, could this foster an unimaginable new level of creativity?