Marcus Du Sautoy: How AI is Learning to Write, Paint and Think

Could a computer create an award-winning novel, or paint a masterpiece, and would we be able to distinguish it from human-created works? Whether it’s a movie that transports us to a new emotional landscape, a song that inspires us to contemplate our own mortality or a portrait that seems to capture the essence of the human spirit, humans have an extraordinary ability to create artworks that elevate and expand what it means to be alive. However, new developments in AI are challenging conventional norms, revealing that many human tasks can be performed equally well, if not better, by machines. But can machines be creative? How much can AI understand the emotional depth that distinguishes profound art from the ordinary? Marcus Du Sautoy, mathematician and author, joins Science Museum principal curator Jessica Bradford to explore the nature of creativity and exactly what it is to be creative in mathematics, art, language and music. Professor Marcus du Sautoy OBE FRS—Professor of Mathematics and Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford, and author of The Creativity Code: How AI is Learning to Write, Paint and Think. Jessica Bradford (Chair)—Head of Collections and Principal Curator, Science Museum. Following the event, Marcus Du Sautoy will sign copies of The Creativity Code at 20.00. Books are available to pre-order with a ticket, or to purchase on the night.