The misunderstanding about AI systems and creativity
It is often overlooked that AI systems are conservative at heart, even though they are seen as a symbol of progress. They are based exclusively on data from the past and use learned patterns to make decisions. Such systems make sense when framework conditions and goals do not change. But the reality is different.
A data-based transformation harbours the risk of restricting the innovative power of organizations and their employees. AI systems cannot take new, innovative solutions into account if they are based on human creativity, value judgments or chance. Instead of creating something truly new, they combine existing knowledge and optimize existing solutions. While this can be useful, it is rarely truly innovative.
Essentially, AI systems will always build on previous decisions and experiences and choose the most efficient path rather than seeking a creative solution. So instead of inventing the automobile, they would have bred faster horses. As AI systems become more widespread, there is also a growing risk that our society will become less capable of real progress and new solutions – a potentially disastrous development.
To minimize this risk, we should consciously use AI systems as assistance systems and retain our creative scope for decision-making. It is to be hoped that future AI systems will not only draw on past data, but also incorporate random components and forget outdated knowledge. Only then could they be truly innovative.
