People assume that machines can't be original or creative, but it is surprisingly easy for originality to be programmed. How? By using what Minsky calls the puzzle principle: "We can program a computer to solve any problem by trial and error, without knowing how to solve it in advance, provided only that we have a way to recognize when the problem is solved." This is typically known as the random generate and test algorithm.
"This possibility makes us reexamine all our old ideas aobut intelligence anc creativity, since it means that, in principle, at least, we can make machines solve any problems whose solutions we can recognize." But, the problem with this is that the generate and test algorithm is extremely slow and inefficient because it is not goal-directed, and thus embodies mindless change.
(NB1: For a really intriguing account of a computer program that draws novel and interesting scences, see McCorduck, P. (1988) Artificial intelligence: An apercu. In S. Graubard (Ed.) The artificial intelligence debate. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.)
(NB2: The role of generate and test in psychological theories of creativity is well-entrenched, primarily after Poincare published his introspections on mathematical insight.)
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