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The transformational creativity hypothesis

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Abstract

The work of Boden on the nature of creativity has been extremely influential, particularly the hypothesis that the highest form of creativity results fromtransformation of a conceptual space. We consider how these ideas could be made more precise, and hence become amenable to empirical testing. This requires some reconsideration of foundational assumptions about computational creativity. We set down the abstract requirements for a conceptual space, review some possible types of formal model, and discuss how it might be possible experimentally to falsify (or corroborate) this hypothesis. We conclude that the central terms (conceptual space, transformation) are still too vaguely defined to support falsifiable claims, but that this is not an obstacle to writing creative computer programs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computing Science, University of Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, Aberdeen, UK

    Graeme Ritchie

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  1. Graeme Ritchie
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Correspondence to Graeme Ritchie.

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Graeme Ritchie, Ph.D.: He is a senior research fellow in the Department of Computing Science at the University of Aberdeen, and has degrees in pure mathematics (Dundee), theoretical linguistics (Essex) and computer science (Edinburgh). His work on computational creativity focusses mainly on models of humour, but he also has an interest in methodological issues.

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Ritchie, G. The transformational creativity hypothesis. New Gener Comput 24, 241–266 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03037334

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03037334

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