The rise of AI art: A look through digital artists' eyes

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), many tasks in the art field are transformed. A critical question emerges: how do artists perceive this change? This study investigates the perceptions of digital artists in the entertainment industry towards AI-generated art. Through 22 in-depth interviews, we find that artists considered AI art unethical. In addition, artists questioned the agency and the lack of human expression behind AI art. Furthermore, the creative process is a point of contention. Unlike traditional art forms, AI art offered them little control or room for experimentation. Artists could not iterate or make incremental changes. Regarding the final AI art output, although the digital artists were impressed with its aesthetics, they found AI art soulless. The study has important implications for emerging research on AI art.