I gave a talk at the New York Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Design, at the NYC campus. The host of the talk was Athina Papadopoulou, Assistant Professor at NYIT.

Abstract

The past few years have seen a substantial increase in effort toward the mechanization of creative processes across disciplines. A number of articles describe computer programs for game-playing, art creation, literature, design generation, visualization, scientific discovery. Generative AI, the catchphrase underneath the hype, is a byproduct of engineering achievements in “deep” neural networks.

This talk focuses on the conceptual and computational meaning of the term “generative.” In particular, it analyzes computational interpretations in design computing theories in architecture and related areas.

Understanding the term in this way, and some of its historical origins, may enable architects and researchers to resolve various controversies. That is, controversies between the cognitivist and connectionist approaches to creativity, between “computing with rules” and “computing with data.”

See my related conference publication:

A. Haridis. (2024). “Formulating the Generative: History, logic, and status of computing designs in a latent space.” Kontovourkis, O., Phocas, M.C., and Wurzer, G. (eds.). Data-Driven Intelligence. Proceedings of the 42nd Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe. (eCAADe 2024). Nicosia, 11-13 September 2024, Volume 2, pp. 261–270.