An intermediate level of evolutionary creativity was achieved by Sims, in his ``genetic images'' work. This work involved an unusually balanced collaboration between the human and evolution. Sims used the genetic programming method in combination with selection based on the aesthetic criteria of the user to evolve abstract images [9] (Figure 3). The fitness function is provided by the aesthetically based selections of the human user in each generation of images. These selection criteria are whimsical and change in each generation as the genetic operators generate new arrays of choices. In this collaboration, evolution is constantly suggesting new designs, while the human artist provides aesthetic judgement and guidance to select among evolution's suggestions.
Figure 3: Karl Sims' system for evolving images by aesthetic selection.
An array of twenty choices. These are the products of mutations
and or recombinations of the previous aesthetic selection(s). The user
can choose one or two of these to be the parent(s) of the next generation.
An example of images evolved through aesthetic
selection.
An example of images evolved through aesthetic
selection.