In 2010, Goichi Suda seemed unstoppable. The Japanese game developer, known by his nickname'Suda51,' had just released No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, a vibrant clash of stylized decapitations and eccentric, oftentimes sexually-charged humor. The Wiimote-waggling hack-and-slash reviewed favorably, cementing Suda's status as a risk-taking auteur similar to American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. The next few games he released, however, didn't fare so well. Shadows of the Damned, Lollipop Chainsaw and Killer is Dead were all criticized for their groan-inducing jokes and general lack of polish.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. What do Suda the elephant and e-David the robot have in common? Both are capable of creating beautiful paintings, free(ish) of human intervention--one uses its trunk to clutch the brush, the other a mechanical arm (though whether Suda is truly "free" when she paints is a matter of serious contention). Each can even sign their work. The quality of their paintings does vary slightly, though of course, beauty is in the visual sensor of the beholder.