Electronic Fuji and Artificial Intelligence Creation: How is the Study of Machine Poetics Possible?

This paper explores the question of how “machine poetics” is possible – that is, under what conditions can we consider machines to be capable of creation? More specifically, why can machine creation be regarded as meaningful in the same way as human creation? If human creations are seen as expressions of the human mind, are creations by machines, which cannot be proven to possess a mind, meaningless? The answer lies in demonstrating that there is theoretical and practical evidence showing that “originating from the human mind” is not a necessary or sufficient condition for a work to possess meaning. Drawing from the ancient Greek philosophical concept of “mimesis,” the paper argues that creation can exist independently of a true understanding of the world, rendering the role of the mind non-essential. Furthermore, by introducing the analogy of the ancient Chinese religious practice of “Fuji” (spirit writing), the paper demonstrates that machine creation shares striking structural and elemental similarities with spirit writing. Both are recognized as producing texts autonomously, without relying on the human mind. Therefore, the traditional acceptance of Fuji texts implies the validity of machine-generated creations. Similar to historical Fuji practices, however, machine creations cannot be divorced from their social context or the intentions of algorithm designers. They too face the tension between the “sacred” and the “profane.” This tension may present unresolved challenges in the artistic realm regarding autonomy, authorship, and value alignment.