The Ghost in the Machine is a Collaborator: Distributed Authorship and Augmented Creativity in Human-AI Digital Art

Sivanon Nax Chaichorfa

ABSTRACT:

This paper posits that the integration of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) into digital art necessitates a paradigm shift from traditional, human-centric models of authorship to a framework of "distributed authorship." This framework recognizes the creative agency of a network comprising the human artist, the AI model, the training data, and the system's developers. Through an analysis of pioneering artists like Refik Anadol and Mario Klingemann, an examination of postmodern art theory, and a critical review of the current legal impasse in copyright law, this paper argues that the artist's role is evolving. The artist is no longer a solitary creator but a director, curator, and collaborator within a complex sociotechnical system. This evolution, while challenging legal and philosophical norms, ultimately augments human creativity by fostering a dialogical partnership with the machine, a process termed "dialogical intentionality." The paper concludes by exploring the implications of this shift for the future of artistic practice and education, asserting that human vision and ethical oversight become more critical than ever in navigating this new creative landscape.

KEYWORDS: Generative AI, Digital Art, Distributed Authorship, Human-AI Collaboration, Postmodernism, Copyright, Creativity, Prompt Engineering

DOI: 10.62788/Nn433XB

PUBLISHED IN: ICCMETS Conference Proceedings 2024

DATE OF CONFERENCE: October 21 - 22, 2024

CONFERENCE LOCATION: Singapore

PUBLISHER: EDUCATION STUDIO (THAILAND) CO., LTD.

ELECTRONIC ISBN: 978-616-7901-69-5

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