The Daily Planet #69: Compute Sovereignty, Part 6

Compute Sovereignty may not have much to do with art at first glance. But a new technology, especially an inscription technology such as AI, will most certainly spawn new art forms that also help us imagine a world in which computation reigns supreme.

Ken Liu's article draws a compelling parallel between the birth of cinema and the emerging medium of AI art, inviting us to reflect on how new artistic forms evolve from humble beginnings into transformative cultural forces. It begins by recounting the first public screening of the Lumière brothers’ cinematograph in 1895—a simple, unedited glimpse of everyday life that no one could have predicted would revolutionize storytelling and visual culture. Similarly, AI art today is in its infancy, producing often uninspired or clichéd outputs due to its default “null subjectivity,” but holding immense potential as a unique artistic medium rather than merely a tool for replicating human creativity.

The author explores AI’s capacity to capture and project subjectivities, coining the term “noematograph” to describe how AI synthesizes and reflects multiple perspectives, much like cinema captures actualities. Through an experiment translating a classical Chinese poem, the article illustrates how AI-generated translations, though imperfect, offer a rich, multifaceted experience that invites deeper engagement with the text’s meanings and nuances. This process highlights AI art’s strength as an interactive, participatory experience that emphasizes process over polished outcomes, and personal exploration over mass consumption.

Unlike cinema, which developed through widespread experimentation by independent creators, AI art faces challenges from corporate control and content restrictions that may stifle its creative evolution. Yet, the article remains hopeful that AI will forge its own language and genres, transforming our relationship with subjectivity and authorship. It suggests that AI art will be ephemeral, intimate, and participatory, more akin to a shared game or meal than a traditional artwork - demanding active involvement from its audience. Ultimately, just as the cinematograph reshaped how we perceive reality, the noematograph promises to reshape how we understand and express the complexities of human subjectivity in art.

The cinematograph, the "noematograph," and the future of AI art

From the cinematograph to the "noematograph," the Hugh-winning author explores how technology has, and may still, breed new artistic forms.