Is AI art considered real art?

The question of whether AI art constitutes ‘real’ art sparks ongoing debate in the art world. Supporters argue that human creativity in crafting prompts, curating outputs, and incorporating AI-generated elements into larger works constitutes genuine artistic expression. Critics contend that machine-generated images lack intentionality, emotion, and the human experience central to art. The debate echoes earlier controversies about photography, readymades, and conceptual art, which also challenged traditional definitions of artistic authorship and craft. From a Surrealist perspective, AI’s ability to generate unexpected imagery from unconscious (or at least non-conscious) processes parallels historical interests in automatism and chance. Many contemporary artists view AI as a new tool rather than a replacement for human creativity. Explore this evolving field through our digital art coverage.