Gabriella Manzenreiter

The aim of this paper is to examine the question of whether a machine ‘genius’ can exist alongside human genius by analysing Immanuel Kant’s concept of genius. I explore the origin of genius and what we understand as fine art in the Kantian sense. In this paper I define how these two concepts are interconnected, and whether genius can be learned or produced in the form of machines. Furthermore, I discuss Kant’s view on science and how the process of creating art and science can be comparable and distinguishable, analysing how these two categories effect the shaping of the definition of genius, alongside I examine the etymology of the term ‘genius’. Based on Kantian concept of genius and fine art, I explore why the products of machines cannot be considered as fine art, and what are the principles of creating art as a genius. With the help of the Plato’s and Schopenhauer’s view, I also examine the source of genius and how these concepts align with the Kantian view. In my paper, I mention the problem of creativity in the terms of machines, and discuss how machines can simulate these capabilities. As a summary I argue the fundamental differences between the human’s and machine’s sources of knowledge.