Banality and Creativity (Quote of the Week)

 "Quote of the Week" is leisure reading in the assignment reminder email to my students.

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"TV has always relied on formula, not necessarily in a bad way. It iterates, it churns out slight variations on a theme, it provides comfort. ... That’s also what could make them among the first candidates for A.I. screenwriting."

TV’s War With the Robots Is Already Here

By James Poniewozik

May 10, 2023

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/10/arts/television/writers-strike-artificial-intelligence.html

In our everyday life, people usually find comfort in banality. Watching TV is a prime example, as the article above indicates. After a hard day, people often look forward to sitting in front of the TV to relax. They want a story that differs from their own life but only needs a little cognitive effort. That explains why TV shows offer too many familiar stories with just a few changes. People love these programs for their predictable banality. 

Predictability is the bedrock of big data. The same patterns people keep creating are the basis of machine learning. Artificial Intelligence (AI) utilizes this data to create "new" texts that are only too familiar. As the article suggests, AI could start writing parts, or possibly all, of the scripts for some TV shows in the near future.

However, a life replete with predictability and banality is not worth living. People occasionally need surprises, challenges, and even disturbances. While AI excels in generating familiar products, it is not yet as creative as inventive humans. 

Education should shift its emphasis from teaching conformity to developing individuality. It should encourage students to be original and innovative. People should leave routine tasks to AI and focus on being creative. If education changes too slowly, it is up to each individual to educate themselves anew.

[Written with ChatGPT and QuillBot]