Art and Emotion in the Age of AI: Understanding Human Engagement with AI-Generated and Traditional Art

AI-generated art has become a part of our daily lives, from website illustrations to art exhibitions; generative AI is increasingly influencing traditional art and human-made design. However, there is limited research exploring the impact of AI-generated art on human emotions and aesthetics. This study aims to analyze how people of different age groups perceive and engage with AI-generated art compared to traditional art, exploring the emotional connections they establish with each type of artwork and how these connections vary based on their backgrounds and experiences. In this study, the primary emotions defined by the Geneva Emotional Wheel are employed to analyze the emotional responses of respondents toward both AI-generated art and traditional art. The results indicate that most respondents favor traditional art and feel wider emotional resonance towards it compared to AI-generated art. However, when respondents are presented with a choice between traditional art and AI-generated art without being informed of their origins, AI-generated artworks emerge as the top choice. These results suggests that further exploration into the emotional and aesthetic dimensions of AI-generated art is essential for understanding its potential future acceptance.