Overview
Brandon Sanderson distinguishes between human creativity and AI by arguing that the creative process transforms the creator, not just the output. He uses the Star Trek character Data as an analogy - Data creates art to grow and understand, while current AI lacks this transformative experience.
The Breakdown
- Art serves as a means of personal transformation - the creator becomes something new through the process of making
- Creative works are receipts or diplomas - they prove you’ve done the internal work to learn and grow
- The creator themselves becomes the true art - more important than any external output
- AI cannot experience the transformative emotions of creation - feeling the work emerge and holding the completed piece
- Quality of output is irrelevant because AI cannot be changed by creation - it lacks the capacity for growth through artistic process