The impact of exposure to generative AI art on aesthetic appreciation, perceptions of AI mind, and evaluations of AI and of art careers

Visual art is increasingly created by generative artificial intelligence (generative AI). This study, conducted online with 470 US participants, investigated whether exposure to art attributed to AI may influence aesthetic appreciation, perceptions of AI mind, and evaluations of AI (acceptance of AI as an artist, evaluation of AI as an identity and realistic threat) and of art careers. Exposure to art introduced as generated by AI (vs a human artist) reduced appreciation. No significant impact was observed on the other dependent variables. For ostensibly AI-generated art, higher appreciation was associated with more acceptance toward AI as an artist and lower levels of AI realistic threat. This suggests that mere exposure to art attributed to AI may not be sufficient to induce a change in perceptions of AI mind, evaluations of AI and of art careers, but these effects might occur if AI-attributed art is appreciated aesthetically.