Are AI Generated Images Really Art?

As of the writing of this, in Summer of 2024, AI use in all aspects of life is on the rise. Thousands of jobs have already been eliminated or are in jeopardy due to the advent of actual utility of this technology. Disputes in Hollywood with writers and actors have already occurred about the use of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) by large studios to produce content. All of this indicates that we are on the cusp of major changes in how we work and live facilitated by Artificial Intelligence. 

While larger questions regarding jobs and the economy loom, it may seem trivial to ask if the “Art” created by the various AI image generators can be considered to be art, however, the question is important to address as the technology continues to improve and play a larger role in our live including in our recreational and entertainment activities. 

To answer the question, we have to be able to define what art is. Is it purely a human endeavor? If so, when an AGI can pass the turing test, does that change whether the images it produces are considered art? Does it require creativity? Early days of AGI image generation were able to produce human faces that were convincingly real, but also completely fake. Is that not creativity? Some would argue that art has to evoke emotion, and scenes created by AI already have demonstrably been able to do that. 

Ultimately, the question of whether AI generated images are art can only be answered by the individual viewing the results. Similarly to the subjectivity of arguing whether graffiti is art or a Jackson Pollock painting in art, individuals will have to determine the answer for themselves.

It is our stance at Convo Calamities that AI generation for art is a tool for an artist rather than the artist itself. Through prompt engineering, an artist molds the product of AI to match their internal image into a medium outside their own mind. It can take many iterations and refinements for a single AI image to conform to the preconceived idea that an initial prompt may have behind it.