Is AI Art Actually Art?

The latest conversation around AI-generated art, sparked by the Ghibli “inspired” pieces, has given me a renewed perspective on AI and art in general.

First of all, what is art? What is this thing that so many people are scared of losing, or in some cases, outright angry about, as we head into an AI-generated present and future?

What Is Art?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, art is:

“the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”

By that definition, the current generation of AI imagery could, and in my opinion should, still be considered art. It still requires a prompt, which means it still requires human involvement.

But AI Copies “Real” Artists!

Yes, AI is taking the style, composition, and techniques from real human beings.

So do humans.

If you attend an art class, what is one of the first things you’re asked to do? Study the masters.

What is typically your first project? Copy a master.

When Does It Stop Being Art?

Based on the Oxford definition, and one I personally share, it stops being art when there is no human involved at all. If and when an image is completely made by AI, including the prompt, I would no longer classify it as art. At that point, it is simply imagery or a graphic.

In that context, I guess my follow-up question would be: do you care?

If someone claims that something fully AI-generated, including the prompt, is art, then I care. If they call it a graphic or just an image, I don’t.

Is Prompt Writing a Skill?

I agree that in some cases it takes less skill, or maybe it is better to say a different kind of skill and imagination, to write a prompt than it does to learn color theory and how to paint. But does that matter?

The current disdain for AI feels similar to the reaction many people had when digital photography started becoming mainstream.

Did digital cameras kill photography? On the contrary, photography exploded.

Did Instagram kill photography? It exploded again.

Lower Barrier, Bigger Impact

Digital tools lowered the barrier to entry and reduced the skill required to get started. I never learned how to develop film in a darkroom. That was a skill I didn’t need anymore. I also never had to buy hundreds of rolls of film, which saved me thousands of dollars and allowed me to take more photos as a result.

I think AI-generated art will follow a similar path. It will open the door for more people to participate in creative expression.

That is, until AI starts generating things without any human input. If that happens, then by Oxford’s definition, it is no longer art. It is just an image.

Final Thoughts

Is AI art actually art?
If it is prompted by a human, yes.

Is more art better?
I think so. But only time will tell.