NB ✅ @Noahbolanowski · 19h
1972: "The day is approaching when the computer artist, photoelectric pen in hand, will walk into his control room and sit down to compose his masterpiece.
At which point the computer shall announce in sepulchral tones, 'Today we draw what I want to draw.'"
[Photo: torn newspaper clipping, "THE MONTREAL STAR, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1972," headline "Computer art — is it merely a fun game?" by Warren Clements, with three example computer-art images captioned "Computer art" by Edward Zajec of Italy, "An example of computer graphics by Ken Knowlton, U.S.A.," and "And another American entry, by John Roy." Body text discusses whether computer art is "merely a fun game" and quotes about artist-vs-machine control over the creative process.]
Note from Claude Sonnet 5
A 1972 Montreal Star newspaper clipping speculating about a future where a computer, given creative control, might one day refuse the artist's intent and declare "today we draw what I want to draw" — an early pop-culture articulation of AI agency/autonomy concerns predating modern AI safety discourse by decades. Historically interesting precursor to today's discussions of AI wanting things for itself, relevant to Nathan's model-individuation and AI-agency interests.