Throughout history, artistic movements have often emerged in response to technological advancements and shifting cultural values, from the emergence of photography influencing Impressionism to the rise of digital media transforming contemporary art. AI-generated art in a similar sense of photography and digital media raises similar questions about the role of the artist and the culture of art. By examining historical parallels, this essay will explore how AI-generated art fits within artistic tradition and whether it represents an evolution or a rupture in the definition of art itself.

A recent controversy that I will look into for this project is the one involving Jason Allen, who has been a point of ridicule for using AI-generated art in a competition and winning first place. This controversy is particularly interesting as it signifies a pivotal moment in the era of AI, as it shows that it’s product is being rewarded and praised rather than being criticized.

One artistic movement similar to the rise of AI-generated art is Dadaism. Emerging in the early 20th century as a reaction to World War I, Dada artists rejected traditional artistic values and embraced randomness and machine-made elements. Artists like Marcel Duchamp challenged the notion of authorship with his “readymades,” such as Fountain (1917), a mass-produced urinal presented as art.

Anti-traditional art is particularly interesting to me in the sense that it pushes the expectations and limitations that we put on art. Art is a form of human expression, and it only through anti-traditional methods that one can express their true persona.