Separate and Reassemble: Generative AI and Media History
Publication
Lev Manovich. "Separate and Reassemble: Generative AI and Media History." (Chapter 7 of Artificial Aesthetics by Lev Manovich and Emanuele Arielli.)
Abstract
This chapter examines generative AI within the broader context of digital media history, positioning it as the fourth significant effect of the web's global accumulation of networked cultural content. I trace a progression from search engines in the late 1990s, through the rise of data visualization in the 2000s and data science in the late 2000s, to the emergence of generative AI in the early 2020s.
The chapter goes on to discuss the fundamental characteristics of generative AI, particularly its reliance on compression and pattern extraction, contrasting this with traditional artistic practices. It explores the aesthetic implications of AI-generated content, including the concept of "fragments" in AI-produced imagery and the potential limitations in generating unique, concrete details. The author concludes by reflecting on the role of human artists in an era of superhuman AI capabilities, suggesting that embracing human limitations and constraints may be key to creating meaningful art in this new landscape.