The Crucial Role of Imagining and Dreaming in Innovation: Why AI Cannot Compete
New Study Suggests Human Creativity Still Trumps AI in Innovation
According to Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, a professor of information science at Oxford University, innovation often starts with dreaming and imagining things that don’t exist yet. This is why he believes that artificial intelligence (AI) may not be able to compete with human creativity in the near future.
Despite AI being trained on massive datasets, Mayer-Schönberger points out that the technology is limited to working with past data. “Humans can imagine things that don’t exist yet, while AI is rooted in the past,” he told DW. While AI can provide insights based on historical data, it does not have the ability to invent something completely new.
For instance, if people during Henry Ford’s time were asked what they wanted, they would likely have said “a faster horse,” a solution based on past experiences rather than future possibilities.
Challenges in the Age of AI
While AI is valuable in evaluating large datasets and increasing efficiency, especially in stable economic times, we currently face challenges that require innovations beyond what AI can offer. Mayer-Schönberger notes that despite rapid advancements in AI, the pace of innovation has slowed down in recent years.
Researchers Ufuk Akcigit and Sina T. Ates have observed a decline in productivity growth in the United States, attributing it to a decrease in new business entries and a lack of knowledge-sharing among industry leaders. This lack of competition hampers innovation, as big companies have fewer incentives to innovate when they face little competition.
The Role of Data in Innovation
Modern innovation largely relies on data, which is where major digital companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook play a significant role. These companies collect vast amounts of data, making them more efficient, but also restrict access to their data wealth from others, hindering the pace of innovation.
Mayer-Schönberger warns that innovative startups are increasingly being acquired by larger firms like Google and Facebook, limiting competition and innovation in the market. This consolidation can lead to a systemic risk to economic growth, akin to a scenario where all cars on a highway have faulty brakes.
To address these challenges, Mayer-Schönberger suggests that policymakers ensure more accessible data and restructure education systems to encourage the next generation to dream and think creatively. He believes that fostering a culture of innovation requires nurturing “uncomfortable mavericks” rather than rigid conformity.
While AI continues to advance, it seems that human creativity and imagination still hold the key to meaningful innovation in a rapidly changing world.