The computer, A choreographer? Aesthetic responses to randomly-generated dance choreography by a computer.

Area of Science:

• Empirical aesthetics
• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Cognitive science
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Advancements in AI and machine learning are blurring the lines of artistic creativity.
• This raises fundamental questions about the definition of art, the role of human creativity, and the evaluation of AI-generated artworks.
• Understanding human responses to AI-generated art is crucial for human-AI interaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate aesthetic responses toward computer-generated art.
• To examine observer prejudices against computer-generated dance choreography.
• To assess the impact of expertise and beliefs about artistic origin on aesthetic evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Two pre-registered, statistically powered experiments were conducted.
• Participants' aesthetic responses to computer-generated dance choreography were analyzed.
• The influence of expertise and pre-conceived beliefs about the artwork's origin was investigated.

Main Results:

• Substantive evidence of an explicit bias among dance experts against computer-generated choreography was found.
• The belief about a dance work's origin significantly biased aesthetic responses in both dance experts and naive participants.
• Pre-conceived notions about AI's role in art creation impact aesthetic judgment.

Conclusions:

• Viewer attitudes and knowledge about AI significantly influence interactions with artificial agents and art.
• The study highlights the need to consider viewer perceptions when developing and evaluating AI-generated art.
• Findings have implications for empirical aesthetics, AI development, robotics, and social cognition research.