The Psychology of Artistic Authenticity

In a world of deepfakes, generative AI, and ongoing debates over cultural appropriation, questions about what makes art “authentic” are newly urgent. We build on work from science and the humanities to offer a unified psychological account of perceived art authenticity . Across six studies, we find that people see art as more authentic when it appears to reveal a mind—a creator's lived experience, emotions, and intentions. The importance of “revealed mind” helps clarify central debates surrounding authenticity, explaining why replicas can sometimes feel authentic, and why audiences celebrate art that reflects an artist's lived experience and grow outraged when an artist tells someone else's story. Perceptions of revealed mind are especially important in the age of AI, explaining why AI-generated art feels inauthentic even when technically impressive. Together, our findings suggest that art feels most authentic when it evokes a sense of connection to the artist's mind.