Use machine learning to generate brand new never-before-heard sounds

I'm extremely ambivalent about this idea. I have no doubt if it were to be applied to sound design, it'd generate some things beyond anything we could make ourselves. But at the same time there's two small, yet very important parts to that last sentence : "some" and "make ourselves". The very fact that machine learning tends to imitate what it's been fed makes me wonder exactly how unique its sounds would be after a certain point, and the fact that it seems to to fall flat before that point makes me wonder how many cool sounds it makes would be happy accidents versus its intended function. Its practical applications appear to be more utilitarian than artistic. Admittedly, I don't claim to have as deep of knowledge on machine learning as I could, but knowing what I do, that's my first concern.

Secondly, though, is the "ourselves" part of things. Even if, hypothetically, there did end up being some "instant sound design" (maybe I'm misinterpreting you there? Apologies if I am) application for this, I have a hard time seeing myself using it. Part of what I love about so much about sound design is personally interacting with synths and effects and samples and such, and constantly finding new things I can do with them, or, when I'm not doing that, hearing other people's work and thinking to myself "holy shit, that sounds incredible!! how did they do that?!". To me, a source of instant gratification like that would be kind of like replacing hunting for buried treasure with the lottery.