Definition
Artificial creativity is the unsolved problem of how to program a system that creates explanatory knowledge. Deutsch treats creativity, not computation alone, as the central barrier to artificial general intelligence.
Why It Matters
It highlights that true AGI requires the ability to generate new, explanatory knowledge rather than just processing existing data. Solving this is the key to creating machines that can actually think and solve novel problems.
Core Concepts
- Creativity is explanatory: Intelligence requires generating explanations, not just producing behavior.
- Behaviorism misses the target: Matching outputs does not explain the mind or creativity.
- AGI is philosophical as well as technical: Without a theory of creativity, implementation has no clear target.
- Programming creativity may become easy after understanding it: The hard part is the explanation, not necessarily the code.