Artificial Intelligence, Kitsch, and Art
äºÃsthetik, Digitalisierung und Künstliche IntelligenzSearch for other papers by Lisa Schmalzried in
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One of the central questions of the philosophical discourse surrounding AI, art, and aesthetics is whether AI can generate art. This paper contributes to this debate. It argues that most AI-produced works do not qualify as art but instead belong to the realm of kitsch. Accordingly, this paper defends two theses: first, that (most) AI works are kitsch (AI-kitsch thesis), and second, that these AI works are not art (AI-non-art thesis). The discussion unfolds in three parts. The first demonstrates the strong affinity between AI works and kitsch by highlighting typical stylistic and content-related features characteristic of kitsch. The second provides additional support for the AI-kitsch thesis, focusing on affective responses to kitsch and the methods used to produce it. The third part argues in favour of the AI-non-art thesis by invoking the incompatibility thesis, which posits a fundamental disconnect between art and kitsch.