artificial intelligence (AI)
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
n. Intelligence exhibited by an artificial (non-natural, man-made) entity.
n. The branch of computer science dealing with the reproduction or mimicking of human-level intelligence, self-awareness, knowledge, conscience, thought in computer programs.
n. The essential quality of a machine which thinks in a manner similar to or on the same general level as a real human being.
n. a computer system or software package which is artificially intelligent
HogWash!!! Numbers can not quantify a feeling; I don’t believe that even the most advanced AI will ever replace human emotion. A computer only crunches numbers. . . and only ones and zeros at that. It doesn’t think, it just computes. AI may ‘mimmic’ human thought, but it is not human. It is not capable of emotional intimacy.
This is especially true when it comes to the appreciation, recognition and understanding of art. And in particular, photographic art. Photos have a LOOK, FEEL, PRESENCE. A quality that is extremely difficult to put into words, and impossible to mimic with numbers. You can run tests and plot curves forever, but you will not KNOW for sure what a film, paper, developer combination is really doing until you make a real photograph.
I keep coming back to the same point; you can not calculate feeling. There are some things that just exist and are not possible to be explained by a mathematical expression. They are emotional expressions. . . emotional responses. . . subject to any number of personal preferences of the individual. These preferences are the product of what make each person an individual. You cannot measure these things. . . they are subjective. Think about it; can art really be expressed by numbers???
It is about personal taste. . . Ford or Chevy. . . Coke or Pepsi. . . green or blue. One size does not fit all! What you may find perfectly acceptable in a film developer combination may not suit my taste at all. My father used to say, “that is why they paint cars different colors.”
Don’t get hung up on the numbers and technology. Believe it or not, the computer inside that camera cannot think for you. Let your natural intuition guide you. If the finished photograph looks satisfactory to you, then you are there. If not; try something different. Don’t expect some computer gadget to make that decision for you. And, while you are at it, do not be swayed by another person’s comments. Only you know when it is right. When it feels right; it is right.
JB
