Re-examining traditional concepts in aesthetics from the lens of AI

Résumé

The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) compels a reconsideration of long-standing debates in aesthetics concerning creativity, novelty, and originality. Traditionally understood as distinctively human qualities, these concepts are now being challenged by AI systems capable of producing poems, artworks, and music that appear original and innovative. This paper argues that AI art can reinvigorate aesthetic theory by compelling sharper distinctions between creation, generation, and interpretation. The consideration of the AI-generated Portrait of Edmond de Belamy exemplifies how questions of authorship, authenticity, and intentionality persist, resonating with issues already raised by conceptual art and ready-mades. Furthermore, empirical studies revealing biases in audience perception – such as favouring works attributed to human creators – underscore how notions of creativity are entangled with expectations about agency and personhood. Leveraging philosophical frameworks from Danto to Foucault, the paper highlights how artistic value and creativity are conferred institutionally and interpretively, not algorithmically. Ultimately, AI art challenges us to reconsider the foundations of artistic authorship and meaning, positioning artificially generated artworks as catalysts for reexamining the conceptual core of aesthetics.