Blurring the Lines Between Science and Art: Swapnil Gaul on the Creative Side of AI
Swapnil Gaul, the founder of Numeregion and creator of TaraNG, is a name to be reckoned with in the field of electromagnetic simulations and computational technology. A graduate of IIT Kharagpur, he has worked with prestigious organizations like ISRO and DRDO, contributing to groundbreaking research in simulation tools. Through Numeregion, he has developed TaraNG, India’s first indigenous electromagnetic simulation software, which is being widely used in both academia and industry. His work continues to push the boundaries of simulation and learning in science and engineering.
While Swapnil Gaul has spent years working at the intersection of science and technology, his views on artificial intelligence (AI) are refreshingly unconventional. In a recent interview, he shared his belief that AI, especially in its generative form, is less about science and more akin to art.
“AI isn’t pure science because science deals with definite equations, definite problems, and definite answers,” Gaul explained. “But when you look at art, it thrives on ambiguity and creativity. You can ask a hundred artists to paint the same mountain, and you’ll get a hundred different paintings. That’s how I see AI.”
Gaul believes that AI, particularly generative AI, doesn’t provide fixed answers to problems but instead creates varied responses each time it’s asked to generate something. “When you ask generative AI to create an image or text, it doesn’t produce the same result every time. It’s like asking a painter to paint again and again—the result will always be different,” he said. “It’s this variability that makes AI more of an art form. Yes, it’s built on science—mathematics, algorithms, and models—but its outputs are as subjective as art.”
For Gaul, the blend of creativity and technology within AI is what makes it exciting and different from other branches of science. “Generative AI doesn’t conform to the same scientific rigor of solving equations with one answer. It can explore multiple possibilities, just like an artist would. In that way, AI is not bound by the rules of science but is free to express different interpretations,” he added.
This viewpoint provides a fascinating lens through which to consider the ongoing debate about the role of AI in society. Is AI simply a tool for solving problems, or does it represent something more creative? For Swapnil Gaul, the answer is clear: “AI is a form of art, built on science, but far from deterministic.”
As artificial intelligence grows and matures, it’s not just redefining the boundaries of technology, but also challenging our understanding of creativity itself. It is redefining the boundaries between science, technology and art.
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