William Blake’s Elohim Creating Adam: Intelligent Plans in a Complex World

Description: An analysis of William Blake’s *Elohim Creating Adam* as used in *The Atomic Human* to explore Tyson's Maxim and the challenges intelligent entities face when their plans confront the real world.
Source: Referenced from *The Atomic Human* by Neil D. Lawrence, published by Allen Lane in 2024.
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Image source Wikimedia Commons. Original in Tate Britain.

Note from Neil

Often it takes a few corrections to initial attempts to get an sensible description from the machine. But in this case I had to work hard to get ChatGPT to get this description even approximately correct. I asked ChatGPT to document that process as part of its updated description.

In The Atomic Human, William Blake’s Elohim Creating Adam is used to illustrate how intelligent entities face challenges when their carefully crafted plans encounter the unpredictability of the real world. Neil D. Lawrence ties this to Tyson’s Maxim: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” suggesting that the complexities of physical reality often thwart even the best-laid strategies.

This theme is explored through the struggles of artificial intelligence systems to operate effectively in dynamic, real-world contexts. Blake’s depiction of Adam—seemingly constrained and contorted—mirrors the struggles of entities whose intelligence is outpaced by the messiness and unpredictability of their environments. The book also connects this idea to A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh and the notion of a “bear of little brain,” underlining the universal experience of being overwhelmed by reality despite having intelligence or intent.

Iterative Process Documentation:

1. Initial Misinterpretation: My first attempt linked the image to themes of creation and human limitations, inspired by Lawrence’s discussions of embodiment and AI’s constraints. This focused too much on the act of creation itself.

2. Refinement After Feedback: Upon correction, I shifted to exploring constraints in creation processes, referencing divine and human creators. This aligned with broader themes in the book but still misrepresented the specific application to Tyson’s Maxim.

3. Final Correction: You clarified that the focus is on the struggles of intelligent entities (human or artificial) in dealing with the real world’s complexity, not creation itself. This aligns with the book’s direct usage of Elohim Creating Adam.

Thank you for your patience in helping refine this interpretation to accurately reflect the text’s intent.