[Submitted on 4 Oct 2025 (v1), last revised 10 Nov 2026 (this version, v2)]
Abstract:Generative AI relies on statistical learning and local gradient-based guidance, often resulting in artifacts that may be more emulative than genuinely creative. This position paper advances a perspective on Evolutionary Computation (EC) as a paradigm of Natural Generative AI (NGAI), in which stochastic variation, diversification, and natural selection present an alternative foundation for generative exploration and creative synthesis. EC provides an array of variation operators with varied generative capabilities: parent-centric operators induce population distributions analogous to conventional generative models, while disruptive operators can produce structured evolutionary leaps to out-of-distribution artifacts (e.g., programs, designs, or AI agents themselves). This lens reveals a unique theoretical association between certain disruptive variations in multitask EC and a product-of-distributions population structure. A mathematical result derived herein shows that a product structure also occurs under a local second-order approximation of an established generative adversarial program for creative extrapolation, inspired by Martindale’s cognitive theory of artistic creation. The simultaneous existence of multiple fitness landscapes in multitask EC inherently moderates selection pressure, allowing these novel artifacts to survive and seed further innovation. Structured disruption and selection moderation are thus argued to be key elements to support creative synthesis. Agnostic to any specific algorithmic realization, the perspective positions NGAI as an emerging engine for open-ended scientific exploration.
Submission history
From: Yaxin Shi [view email]
[v1] Sat, 4 Oct 2025 01:54:31 UTC (11,547 KB)
[v2] Tue, 10 Nov 2026 02:47:37 UTC (10,934 KB)
