Can an AI Invent Things? No.
Generative artificial intelligence seems to have a limitless supply and tricks. It can produce everything from clear and easy-to follow recipes and vacation plans to computer code and molecules for new drugs.
But can it really invent these things? Can it be labeled as the inventor or creator of a product or item? Legal scholars, authorities on patents, and even legislation have been ruminating over that. Those who find the answer to be “yes,” a small but alarmingly growing number, are fighting an uphill battle in challenging belief that invention is relegated to humans.
The question of whether artificial intelligence (AI) can invent, while quite recent in its practical extent, dates to the very beginning of computing.
Ada Lovelace was a Victorian-era mathemetician who helped build one of the first examples of a general-purpose computing device. In 1843, Lovelace wrote about it:
The Analytical Engine has no pretensions to originate anything. It can do whatever we know how to order it to perform. It can follow analysis; but it has no power of anticipating any analytical relations or truths. Its province is to assist us in making available what we are already acquainted with.
After Lovelace argued against machine invention, Alan Turing, a pioneer of the electronic computer, contributed to the discussion a century later. In 1950 Turing wrote the first scientific paper about AI. In it, he attempeted to a refutation of Lovelace’s idea:
Who can be certain that ‘original work’ that he has done was not simply the growth of the seed planted in him by teaching, or the effect of following well-known general principles. A better variant of the objection says that a machine can never ‘take us by surprise’. This statement is a more direct challenge and can be met directly. Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.
His words ring true. Today, machines are surprising us. OpenAI’s new ChatGPT chatbot is a spectacular example. Indeed, there’s mounting evidence AI can help humans invent — and in some cases might even be considered the inventor itself.
Most of the cases in which an AI could be attributed as an inventor are where AI generates an idea, a solution a certain product can solve. Nevertheless, there are many examples of popular everyday products having AI involved in their creation. Researchers at MIT have used AI to identify and help create antibiotics. Oral-B Toothbrushes were invented after a brainstorming session with AI, as well as 3D circuits. Many softwares are developed with the aid of AI and technology, as well as various workflows, processes, and procedures that are used to invent those things.
This leads us to yet another question: What’s the difference between an AI assisting invention, and an AI inventing?
Well, here’s Merriam Webster’s definition of inventing:
to produce (something, such as a useful device or process) for the first time through the use of the imagination or of ingenious thinking and experiment.
By this definition, it becomes abundantly clear that AI falls short in the realm of invention. The crucial ingredients of imagination and creative thinking remain elusive to AI’s repertoire. Regrettably, AI lacks the inherent ability to conjure new ideas or envision novel concepts. Nevertheless, it does possess the capability to conduct experiments, albeit within the confines of pre-existing data and established patterns. The scientific method, an integral aspect of invention, can indeed be automated and executed by AI.
Moreover, it is imperative to recognize that the process of invention extends beyond the realm of scientific experimentation. True invention necessitates the application of human creativity, intuition, and originality. Human inventors possess the remarkable capacity to transcend established boundaries, to think beyond the constraints of pre-existing knowledge, and to forge connections that defy conventional wisdom. They possess the unique ability to amalgamate disparate ideas and concepts, giving rise to something entirely unprecedented.
Furthermore, invention entails a profound understanding of human needs, desires, and societal contexts. It entails considerations of aesthetics, usability, and the broader impact on individuals and communities. While AI can undoubtedly aid in analyzing copious amounts of data, identifying potential solutions, and streamlining certain aspects of the inventive process, it remains devoid of the human touch and the empathetic understanding of end-users.
Moreover, the legal landscape surrounding invention poses its own set of challenges for AI. Patent laws, as they stand, typically require an inventor to be a human being. Granting patents to AI-generated inventions raises intricate questions pertaining to ownership, liability, and accountability. The legal system, intricately woven into the fabric of human-centric frameworks, necessitates significant revisions and careful considerations should it encompass AI inventions.
While AI undeniably contributes to the inventive process, augmenting human creativity and facilitating innovation in various domains, it falls short of the ability to truly invent akin to human beings. The quintessential qualities of creativity, imagination, and originality that define the realm of human invention remain beyond the current capabilities of artificial intelligence. Therefore, it is imperative to perceive AI’s role as that of a supportive tool, one that enhances and complements human inventors rather than seeks to supplant them. By fostering collaboration and harnessing the strengths of both human inventors and AI, we stand poised to unlock unprecedented realms of ingenuity and advancement, propelling society towards a future imbued with transformative discoveries and inventions.
