' Diverse thoughts after reading!Carl's "The Amiga's Only Future".' I don't doubt that writeable CDs'will come precisely as soon as the'corporate minimax strategists have'decided how their introduction into the'marketplace (a fashionable word here!'Always reminds me of a little Golden'Book I had as a child with a picture of'pigs in it) can produce the optimum'profit extraction from the masses.'Matter of fact yes Carl, I am worried'about the future of computing (and'about the future of a good many other'creative things as well - but I'll keep'to the point). There are two principal'reasons for my concern, one shallow and
one much deeper.' The more obvious horror, which is'nearly on us now, is that one computer'architecture will attain global'domination through monetary reasons'regardless of its actual creative'merit. It will follow from this that we'are likely to see each type of software'dominated by one or two packages. In my'position running a computer for a'medium-sized manufacturing firm I have'seen this come to pass gradually over'the past few years. Computers such as'the Amiga, superior in design and'performance, are simply left out of the'mainstream of computer activity.'Articles on Amigas in popular, general'computer publications and newsletters'have numbered about two in as many'years. Parallel with this trend I have'noticed a slow drying-up of really'interesting articles about artificial'intelligence, new algorithms and all'the other juicy topics which set the'thinking man's mind in motion. Every-'thing seems to be related to business'now. Pages and pages are given over to'who has bought out whom and who has'gone into receivership. Photos of'asinine "CEOs" head articles of vacuous'doublespeak. The place is riddled with'"consultants" who couldn't write a'programme to save themselves. Okay, so'that's the first worry - dominance of
brains by the dollar basically.' The second is much more subtle but'much more deadly and pertains mostly to'the arts rather than to the sciences.'It boils down to this. In my opinion'the computer is too transient a medium'in which to create works of lasting'value. I often wonder what would happen'if my piano underwent constant changes'in nature and capability in the same'way as my computer. Well, I would have'to search for musical structures'invariant with respect to those'changes. Anything I were to write that'depended on the vagaries of hardware'would be doomed to a life of a few'months. It is worse with the visual'arts. Suppose I had as much painting'ability as our friend Andrew Campbell.'I would be wary of pouring enormous'effort into a computer picture because'next year there may be better tools'available and the whole thing may be'superseded. Do you actually paint using'conventional media too Andrew? Does'this transience worry you in the same'way as it does me with regard to my
music?' Why the desire for invariance at'all? Why not enjoy the essence of the'moment and pass on? Well, I think it is'fundamental in human nature to want to'"make a mark on the wall" - "I was'here". Much more than this though, I'think it is a deep propensity of people'to want to capture those moments of'personal spiritual significance in a'form which allows others to see and
understand them.' We need to be very careful about the'degree to which we allow computers to'influence this process. Our human'ability of creative volition is one of'the most precious things we have.'Artificial intelligence and algorithms'which write music and paint pictures,'although to be admired as clever,'ignore the fact that means are as'important as ends. Art is surely as'much a yoga for the artist as it is a'means to an end product. Last year I'wrote a programme which writes and'plays imitation Bach fugues. Although'the results are not impeccable, the'exercise convinced me that computer'music approximating any style of the'past is not only possible but easier to,generate than one would think.
[35m(But+what about song cycles? Ed.)
[0m Probably'the only reason we haven't seen more of'this sort of thing is that to do it'well requires very intimate knowledge'of both programming and the style in'question; in other words TWO advanced'abilities in disparate fields. I am NOT'blowing my own trumpet here, indeed my'fugue writer fails precisely because my'understanding of Bach is limited and my'algorithms are correspondingly simp-
clistic.' Why do I digress on this topic and'what relevance does it have to the'Amiga's future ? Well just this - the'Amiga is probably the only home'computer which is truly creative at a'low and immediate level. I.B.M.,'Microsoft and the rest of them don't'want to make computers for the'creative, thinking man; they want to'make dollars out of unthinking,'imitative users and consumers. The huge'danger (it won't happen completely for'some years yet but the signs are there'now) is that THE way to write a letter'will be using Microsoft/I.B.M., THE way'to study a symphony will be using some'advanced soundblaster and a Microsoft'music programme, THE way to draw will'be using some trotty I.B.M. programme.'The frightful list goes on. Ultimately'we could all be force-fed with algo-'rithmically arranged muzak. Don't laugh'- heard some of the music on answer-'phones lately ? Ten dollars to a'knobble of poop they're arranged'synthetically - they'd have to be,
they're so bland.' Talking about knobbles, what if the'common perception of bungling Commodore'were all wrong and they'd been nobbled'all along ? Now there IS an interesting&thought. They come to me occasionally.
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