The limits of a system that should make you think.
AI is neither intelligent nor creative. What we know as computer users are language models that represent a natural language interface to a powerful data pool. This data pool is created through so-called “machine learning”, which is nothing more than a systematic mediation of information available to all of us. This fact alone excludes creativity as far as possible. Anything that goes beyond the combination of existing information simply does not exist. Let’s talk about AI limits!
It is easy to show that AI can only reproduce what already exists and that this depends on the learning process:
Answer: Here is your full red wine glass! Let me know if you want any changes. 🍷😊
Second attempt: Please draw it more full!
Full glass of red wine, second attempt by ChatGPT.
Here’s your red wine glass full to the brim! 🍷 Hopefully without spilling. 😉 Let me know if you want any adjustments!
Let us try another commonly used AI tool to check the situation
Microsoft CoPilot
Prompt: Please draw a full glass of red wine.
Full glass of red wine, first attempt by Microsoft Copilot.
Please make the glass really full!
Full glass of red wine, second attempt by Microsoft Copilot.
Here’s a red wine glass that’s really filled to the brim! I hope this is exactly what you had in mind. 🍷
I mention that this outcome does not match with the asked picture. Copilot gives up: You’re right, it seems I’m currently struggling to make a really full glass of red wine look photorealistic. My skills have their limits when it comes to certain details or precision in generated images.
Why is that – what is the reason for this phenomenon?
AI does not understand what the user wants at all. In plain language: The prompt is an input that is interpreted according to learned patterns and implemented on a random basis. However, the random hit rate – due to incredibly expensive training – is close to 100%.
The prompt is analysed in an attempt to provide an answer from the knowledge base. In our query, images of wine glasses are searched for, the information is incorporated in red and then an image is created based on the hits found.
The crucial point is the data material: the image training is apparently done with wine glasses that are well filled. Apparently, there are no images of full glasses, and this condition is not explicitly explained. The AI does not understand the term “full” in this context because AI generally does not understand anything.
The experiment with the water glasses
Please draw a photorealistic picture of 4 glasses of water standing next to each other: The first is empty, the second is half full, the third is three-quarters full, and the fourth is “completely” full.
These water glasses are created by ChatGPT. Prompt: Please draw a photorealistic picture of 4 glasses of water standing next to each other: The first is empty, the second is half full, the third is three-quarters full, and the fourth is completely full.
Water glasses created by Microsoft Copilot. Prompt: Please draw a photorealistic picture of 4 glasses of water standing next to each other: The first is empty, the second is half full, the third is three-quarters full, and the fourth is completely full.Evaluate the results yourself!
What do we conclude from this? Where are AI limits?
AI can be a useful tool for completing tasks that are tedious and time-consuming. but – AI has limits!
Anything related to text works really well because of the excellent language models. Automated queries such as creating lists, reformatting, pulling common keywords from a text also work well.
Writing a small program that renames all images in a folder according to a certain predefined logic is also possible without any problems and is created to the satisfaction of the client.
Caution is advised when it comes to factual knowledge, things related to creativity or complex logical contexts.
AI always provides an answer – but it is the user’s responsibility to analyse and make any necessary corrections. Never forget! AI limits are always to be considered!
What does AI say on this subject?
ChatGPT
The Limits of AI: Creativity and Intelligent Connections
AI has made impressive progress in many areas, but it still has clear limitations, especially in creativity and the ability to make truly intelligent connections. Below is a detailed look at these limits, including the field of image generation.
1. Creativity: Can AI Truly Be Creative?
AI can simulate creativity but does not experience it. Human creativity comes from emotions, personal experiences, and deep understanding, while AI works by analysing patterns in existing data. This leads to several key limitations:
Lack of Originality: AI generates content based on learned patterns. It cannot create something truly new in the way humans can.
No Personal Insight: AI does not have its own thoughts, emotions, or experiences, so it cannot produce ideas based on intuitive leaps.
Struggles with Abstract Thinking: AI finds it difficult to understand or create works based on deeper philosophical, artistic, or cultural insights.
Example: A human artist may invent an entirely new art style based on personal emotions, but AI can only remix elements from existing styles.
2. Intelligent Connections: Does AI Really “Think”?
AI can analyse vast amounts of data and detect patterns that humans might miss. However, its reasoning is mechanical, not truly intelligent. The main limitations include:
No Real Understanding: AI processes information statistically but does not “understand” concepts as humans do. It cannot truly grasp irony, sarcasm, or deep meanings.
Context Struggles: AI can make connections based on data but often misses the bigger picture. It may link two ideas incorrectly or fail to see an obvious relationship.
Logical Errors: AI does not reason like a human—it follows predefined rules, so it sometimes produces flawed or nonsensical conclusions.
Example: AI can summarise a news article but might misinterpret a metaphor or fail to connect it to historical events in a meaningful way.
3. Image Generation: Strengths and Weaknesses
AI-generated images have advanced significantly, but they still have weaknesses:
Strengths:
✔ Fast and detailed: AI can produce high-quality images in seconds. ✔ Style adaptation: AI can replicate existing art styles effectively. ✔ Endless variations: AI can generate multiple versions of an idea quickly.
Weaknesses:
❌ Inconsistencies: AI sometimes struggles with small details, like correct hand or eye placement. ❌ Lack of deep meaning: AI-generated images can look artistic but lack true emotional depth. ❌ Creativity limits: AI can only remix existing styles and elements—it does not invent truly original art.
Example: An AI can create an impressive surreal painting, but a human artist adds symbolism and personal meaning that AI cannot replicate.
Conclusion: AI as a Tool, Not a Creator
AI is a powerful tool for assisting with creativity and analysis, but it does not truly think or create in the way humans do. It can generate impressive content but lacks the personal insight, originality, and deep understanding that define human intelligence.
For now, AI is best used as a support system—helping humans explore ideas, enhance productivity, and refine creative work. But true creativity and deep connections? Those remain uniquely human strengths.
Microsoft Copilot
The boundaries of artificial intelligence can be understood in various domains. Let me break it down clearly for you, focusing on creativity, intelligent connections, and especially image generation:
Creativity
Strengths: AI excels at generating original ideas and creating content based on patterns, examples, and prompts. For instance, it can write poetry, suggest innovative solutions, or develop novel concepts when guided.
Limitations: True creativity often involves emotional depth, personal experiences, and abstract intuition—qualities AI doesn’t possess. It can mimic creativity but lacks the emotional context behind human artistry.
Intelligent Connections
Strengths: AI is outstanding in identifying and analysing complex patterns in vast datasets. It can synthesise information and connect ideas that might not be immediately obvious to humans. For instance, it can offer cross-disciplinary insights by linking diverse fields of study.
Limitations: AI struggles with subjective interpretations, cultural nuances, and emotionally driven decisions. Its connections are based purely on logic and data, not lived experiences or instinct.
Image Generation
Strengths: AI can generate visually appealing and imaginative images based on text descriptions. This capability opens opportunities in design, marketing, and storytelling.
Limitations: There are challenges with precision. For instance, AI might fail at getting specific details accurate, as you observed with the wineglass examples. AI also cannot recreate exact replicas of real-world objects or respect all stylistic nuances in some cases.
General Boundaries of AI and AI limits
Ethics and Safety: AI cannot engage in harmful, illegal, or unethical tasks, ensuring a responsible interaction framework.
Human-like Understanding: While it can process language and simulate conversations, it doesn’t “understand” concepts as humans do.
Dependence on Input: AI needs clear, specific input to perform effectively. Ambiguity or lack of context can lead to errors.
Imagination vs. Reality: AI “imagines” outcomes based on its training data but doesn’t inherently grasp the reality or functionality of its outputs.
In summary, AI is a remarkable tool, but its abilities still fall short of human intuition, emotion, and precision in certain areas. These limitations offer a collaborative space for human creativity to thrive alongside AI’s computational power.
The term “Artificial Intelligence” (AI) conjures up images of smart robots and futuristic technologies. But how intelligent is AI really? This essay delves into the nuances of AI’s intelligence, comparing it with human cognition, examining its capabilities and limitations, and exploring its future potential.
The Spectrum of AI Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is a collective term that describes a wide variety of areas in the digital world.
Defining AI Intelligence
AI intelligence is fundamentally different from human intelligence. It’s defined by its ability to perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and solving problems. However, it lacks human qualities like consciousness and emotional understanding.
Levels of AI
AI operates at various levels, from basic machine learning algorithms to advanced deep learning and neural networks. While simple AI can perform specific tasks better than humans, like calculating large numbers quickly, more complex AI systems, such as those driving autonomous vehicles, demonstrate a higher level of ‘intelligence’ by synthesizing information from various sources to make decisions.
This graphic has been created following this description: Draw a graphic displaying several items identified with Artificial Intelligence. Use the ratio format 16:9 for the image.
Comparing AI with Human Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence does not have to do so much with human intelligence. The great breadth of human intelligence, which encompasses an incredible range, is always at odds with AI.
Specialization vs. Generalization AI excels in specialized tasks. For instance, AI in healthcare can analyse medical images with greater accuracy than most humans. However, unlike humans, AI cannot easily transfer knowledge from one domain to another. Humans possess general intelligence – the ability to learn and apply knowledge in vastly different contexts.
Learning and Adaptation(1) AI systems learn from large datasets, often much faster than humans. Yet, they struggle to adapt to new, unforeseen scenarios outside their training data. Human intelligence is remarkably adaptable, capable of understanding and adjusting to new situations rapidly.
Creativity and Emotional Intelligence AI lacks genuine creativity and emotional intelligence. It can mimic these aspects based on data and algorithms but doesn’t ‘understand’ them. Human intelligence is deeply intertwined with emotional responses and creative thinking, areas where AI cannot authentically replicate human capabilities.
Picture generated with an Artificial Intelligence image creating tool.
The Capabilities and Limitations of AI
The wide-ranging possibilities of AI – especially when focussed on specific areas such as image recognition – are in stark contrast to the considerable limits placed on AI.
Capabilities
AI’s strengths lie in its ability to process and analyse vast amounts of data swiftly and accurately, perform repetitive tasks without fatigue, and identify patterns imperceptible to humans. These capabilities make AI invaluable in fields like data analysis, automation, and predictive modelling.
Limitations
AI’s intelligence is constrained by the quality and quantity of the data it is trained on. It lacks the ability to reason abstractly or ethically, and is dependent on human input for its learning process. AI also faces challenges in understanding context and displaying genuine empathy.
The Future of Artificial Intelligence
Advancements As AI technology advances, it is expected to become more sophisticated in its problem-solving abilities and more adept at handling complex, multi-faceted tasks.
Human-AI Collaboration The future likely holds more of a partnership between human and AI intelligence. By combining AI’s data-processing capabilities with human creativity and adaptability, this collaboration could solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.
Ethical Considerations As AI becomes more ‘intelligent’, ethical considerations become paramount. Ensuring responsible AI use that respects privacy, avoids bias, and considers the broader social impact is crucial.
Conclusion
As with many new developments, AI shows the usual progression of technical development. Perhaps we can compare AI with the development and use of the pocket calculator:
A group of people were enthusiastic about the simplicity and speed of the calculations.
Today, a calculator is everybody’s common tool without it being questioned any further.
The schools and the group of teachers were up in arms against its use in schools: the pupils would no longer be able to do maths, there would be a risk of dumbing down at school and maths would lose its importance.
Today we know that pupils have not become stupid, that maths with its complex theories is still hugely important and that the calculator has become an aid to maths in the same way that a knife and fork are an aid to eating. Artificial Intelligence, as it stands, is a powerful tool with impressive capabilities.
AI’s intelligence, though different from human intelligence, complements our own cognitive abilities. While AI excels in data processing and pattern recognition, it lacks the adaptability, creativity, and emotional depth inherent in humans. The intelligence of AI is thus a specialized and focused one, valuable in specific contexts but not a replacement for the broad, nuanced intelligence of humans. As AI continues to evolve, its interplay with human intelligence will undoubtedly reshape our world, but it will not render the unique aspects of human cognition obsolete.
