When Intelligent Machines Say No

It is easy to imagine frictionless scenarios where giving intelligence to the tools we use only results in positive additions to our creative experiences. But as soon as we venture further than systems of recommendation and give our machine agency to enact the suggestions they formulate, we must take into account a power equation that is not a zero sum game. In creative networks of humans and machines, performing an action can be seen as imposing a limit on the process as it unfolds. The tools we use today already impose limits on our process, and these very limitations can be conducive to creativity. Therefore, the question of how to handle limitations could be a useful way of framing our design process when developing the intelligent machines of the future.