Putting the Art in Artificial: Aesthetic Responses to Computer-generated Art

Chamberlain, Rebecca; Mullin, Caitlin; Scheerlinck, Bram and Wagemans, Johan. 2018. Putting the Art in Artificial: Aesthetic Responses to Computer-generated Art. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts, 12(2), pp. 177-192. ISSN 1931-3896 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology increasingly becomes a feature of everyday life, it is important to understand how creative acts, regarded as uniquely human, can be valued if produced by a machine. The current studies sought to investigate how observers respond to works of visual art created either by humans or by computers. Study 1 tested observers’ ability to discriminate between computer-generated and man-made art, and then examined how categorisation of art works impacted on perceived aesthetic value, revealing a bias against computer-generated art. In Study 2 this bias was reproduced in the context of robotic art, however it was found to be reversed when observers were given the opportunity to see robotic artists in action. These findings reveal an explicit prejudice against computergenerated art, driven largely by the kind of art observers believe computer algorithms are capable of producing. These prejudices can be overridden in circumstances in which observers are able to infer anthropomorphic characteristics in the computer programs, a finding which has implications for the future of artistic AI.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000136

Keywords:

computer art, aesthetics, image statistics, intentionality, embodiment

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Psychology

Dates:

DateEvent
20 April 2017Accepted
4 September 2017Published Online
May 2018Published

Item ID:

20443

Date Deposited:

12 May 2017 10:53

Last Modified:

29 Apr 2020 16:27

Peer Reviewed:

Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.

URI:

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/20443

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