I disagree with those who say an AI system can't create. Here's why...

A year or so ago, I was writing a public statement about a proposed Australian law that was supposed to counter online misinformation. I web-searched the term "political censorship". I found a definition that was simple, clear, and neutral. It was credited to an AI system — Chat GPT.

"Political censorship refers to the act of regulating or controlling information, ideas, or expressions that are related to politics by an authoritative entity, such as a government or ruling regime."

I wondered whether the definition really came from the AI, so I went on to web-search for an earlier use of similar words. I didn't find one.

I don't doubt that the AI system had its sources. Perhaps it drew from usage, perhaps from definitions of "political" and "censorship". Thing is, human writers have sources too.

A definition like that may not be everyone's idea of "art". On the other hand, it's not my idea of a simply mechanical task.

Anyway, I used the AI's words in my statement, and acknowledged where I got them from, because that seemed like the reasonable thing to do.