Is AI Art Really Art? It’s Complicated.

BY GABI MOTT ‘25

Imagine a painting—a bizarrely beautiful mix of steampunk and Renaissance art. Cloaked figures stare into a window, or a portal, or something else entirely with the lightest suggestion of a city in the great beyond. The colors are delicate reds and golds, and the lighting is masterful. Everything is detailed, reveling in its own intricacy. This piece is “Théâtre D’opéra Spatial,” the winner of the digital arts category at the Colorado State Fair Fine Arts Competition. The only catch? The image was made almost entirely by Midjourney, an artificial intelligence. 

This piece by Jason M. Allen won the competition. In fact, it was his first time entering an art competition. He’d never considered himself an artist, studying computer science in college and preferring keyboards to paintbrushes. However, he believes that his submission is art and that he deserved to win as much as anyone else. After receiving backlash, he responded “you said AI would never be as good as you, that AI would never do the work you do, and I said, ‘Oh really? How about this?’”

Allen takes the approach that art is solely about beauty. His submission is beautiful. He certainly thinks so, and the judges clearly agree. If something is visually interesting and enjoyable to look at, then it is art. Artificial intelligence can clearly match and even outperform human artists, creating a pretty picture and doing so many times faster than any artist.

The common rebuttal is that art isn’t about creating something aesthetically pretty. Rather, it’s about a deeper meaning: symbolism, pain, the human soul laid bare. We’ve all seen a Picasso or an abstract painting made of dots and splotches, leaving the viewer, frankly, a little confused. Clearly, there had to be something special about the artwork for it to be as famous as it is, but at first glance, the pieces may not resemble more than a child’s scribbles.

At the same time, apparent messiness in art can be intentional. Picasso was an extremely talented artist who could, and did, easily do realism but also employed more abstracted figures because that style allowed him greater self expression. These pieces have undeniable historical importance, but more than that, they speak to people on a deeper level than brushstrokes on canvas. The art comes not just from the visuals of the piece but the process behind it. 

While Allen generated many renderings before deciding on the final rendition and gave detailed instructions to the AI, he wasn’t involved with the actual creation of the artwork. Unlike a painting where every detail is decided, much of his submission was down to chance and Midjourney’s algorithm. If we say that art must have a creator-given meaning then Théâtre D’opéra Spatial is not art.

However, this concept assumes that art cannot derive value from how its viewers see it. Bob Ross’ paintings are completely standard. They’re pleasing to the eye but play it safe in every aspect: the colors, forms, and subjects are all designed to be pretty. Yet, they’re also very much art. 

 Though genuine skill does go into any art, what makes art special isn’t necessarily the paintings themselves but the emotions attached to them. The feelings of love people have towards Bob Ross himself elevates the pieces. The paintings may evoke vague emotion already but become far more emotionally resonant when placed in the context of Bob Ross as a figure. The value here comes not from the paintings or even Ross’ intention when creating them but from the value the audience projects onto them.

That is to say, if the judges of the competition appreciated Allen’s piece for what it was, finding beauty and meaning in it, regardless of Allen’s input, then why shouldn’t it be art? If we say that art finds value in its viewers and not its creator, then Théâtre D’opéra Spatial is art.

From this idea, I arrive at two conclusions. Firstly, AI art can be art. I’m skeptical of strict definitions of what is and isn’t art, and if people find beauty and enjoyment in AI art, then I think it’s as worthy as any other form.  

However, AI art is also different from more traditional forms of art. The backlash against Allen’s victory wasn’t all jealous artists who were scared that robots would put them out of a job but art lovers who yearned for a human touch. If all we wanted was detail or realism, we would’ve abandoned painting for photography a long time ago. Just as a painting would not be compared with a photograph, AI art needs its own category.