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Gestural Inputs as Control Interaction for Generative Human-AI Co-Creation
John Joon Young Chung, Minsuk Chang, and Eytan Adar

While AI-powered generative systems offer new avenues for art-making, directing these algorithms remains a central challenge. Current methods for steering have focused on conventional interaction techniques (widgets, examples, etc.). This position paper argues that the intersection of user needs in creative contexts and algorithmic capabilities requires re-thinking our interactions with generative AI. We propose that rough gestural inputs, such as hand gestures or sketching, can enhance the experience of human-AI co-creation–even for text. First, the undetermined and ambiguous nature of gestural inputs corresponds to the purpose and the capabilities of generative systems. Second, rough gestural can be intuitive and expressive, facilitating iterative co-creation. We discuss design dimensions for inputs of artifact-creating systems, then characterize existing and proposed input interactions with those dimensions. We highlight how gestural inputs can expand the control interaction for generative systems by analyzing existing tools and describing speculative input designs. Our hope is that gestural inputs become actively studied and adopted to support user intentions and maximize the perceived efficacy of generative algorithms.


Pre-print: PDF, (7.9 MB), to appear, IUI'22 Workshop on Human-AI Co-Creation with Generative Models (HAI-GEN)