The magazine MAQ September 2018 MAQ Magazine November 2018 | Page 171

MAQ/November 2018 / 07

Harold Cohen, developed Aaron, one of the first and most complex software programs for computer-generated art.

founded the Artificial Intelligence Art and Aesthetics Research Group, believes that "fine art" – art created for its own sake – can only occur when an AI follows its own goals, and not those of its programmers.

"Aesthetic autonomy will be achieved only after having consciousness of beauty," he argues. "Creating autonomy will be achieved only after having self-consciousness.

Consciousness precedes both consciousness of beauty and self-consciousness."

Current AI art is still governed by human aesthetics, he says. True AI art, one of machine aesthetics, might be impervious to any notion of beauty.