The Artist in the Machine

“With this quite extraordinary book Arthur Miller has produced an essential, readable, and highly intelligent account of the manner in which machines can — and surely soon will — become involved in the process of creativity. In art, poetry, music, and thinking, computers are now teetering on the brink of true consciousness with implications both tantalizing and terrifying, as this necessary book so eloquently illustrates.” – Simon Winchester, author of The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World

“Arthur Miller is one of the world’s most insightful thinkers about the intersection of art and science. In this profound book, he takes on a key question in the impending age of artificial intelligence: Can computers be creative? Readers will be fascinated by his analysis of the unexpected talents of computers and also the more fundamental issue of what creativity actually is. It’s an important book for anyone who wants to understand the role we humans will play in a technologically driven future.” – Walter Isaacson, Professor of History, Tulane University and author of Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci

“Arthur I. Miller is widely acclaimed as a scholarly, insightful, and prolific thinker whose earlier books have illuminated the symbiosis between the arts and sciences. The Artist in the Machine addresses a hugely important new topic: Miller recounts many instances where artistic creativity is already being nourished by interaction with artificial intelligence — and speculates on the capabilities of more powerful machines. This fascinating book deserves wide readership.” – Martin Rees, UK Astronomer Royal and author of On the Future: Prospects for Humanity

“Ever since Ada Lovelace’s first speculations way back in 1843, thinkers have debated whether computers can display bona fide artistic creativity. Miller’s masterly volume brings the controversy well into the 21st century. The Artist in the Machine is by far the most current, comprehensive, and candid treatment available today.” – Dean K. Simonton, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of California, Davis, and author of The Genius Checklist: Nine Paradoxical Tips about How You Can Become a Creative Genius