IlliGAL Blogging

A stock phrase in some of my writing has gone something like the following: "Genetic algorithms are used across the spectrum of human endeavor," and some have criticized that sentence as overstated, but compared to other computational procedures, GAs have found their way into nooks and crannies of human thought that have previously resisted computational aid. One area where this is particularly true is in the realm of visual art. Since the early 90s, a fair number of people have used genetic algorithms to evolve art. A nice survey site is here. A page of Steven Rooke's work is here, and a site citing Latham's work is here. Whether you find the art products pleasing to your eye is not really the issue. That a computer program was an active participant in the act of creation is.