Can AI Create Art?
A social media user known as “SHL0MS” found a compelling way to explore the limits of artificial intelligence in art. On Tuesday, he shared two images with his followers. One was an AI-generated piece mimicking the style of French impressionist Claude Monet, while the other was an actual painting by Monet. Both images showcased lily pads resting on a reflective pond.
SHL0MS challenged his audience to “describe, in as much detail as possible, what makes this inferior to a real Monet painting” and to “focus on the specific visual elements that distinguish the AI image from an authentic Monet.” His post quickly gained over 5.5 million views, sparking varied critiques from users (many of which have since been deleted).
One user noted, “[T]he reflection in AI art is just noise splattered right. [M]onet actually understood how light behaves on water.” Another remarked, “The choice of color in places, e.g., the purple around the lily pads, sticks out to me as decidedly worse than most Monet. I get a sense that the artist failed to connect their eyes to the brush/palette, almost as if…”
In a more blunt critique, a now-deleted comment simply stated, “The fact that it looks like shit and is shit. Slop. Doesn’t look anywhere near like a Monet. Looks exactly like somebody trying to replicate the style and achieving like 20% of it. Not as vibrant as Monet’s typical choice of colors. Looks dull.” Yet, this painting, however criticized, was indeed Monet—or at least a photo of one.
When AI-image generation tools first appeared, critiques often focused on their technical flaws. For instance, AI struggled to accurately render human features, like the correct number of fingers on each hand. Rapid advancements have been made in just a few years, but many commenters still assess AI-generated images from a technical standpoint. This might be misleading since AI is evolving quickly and redefining what “good art” can mean.
Historically, art has shifted away from naturalism as the pinnacle of value. Monet himself experienced this shift, as the term “Impressionist” was originally used derogatorily. Art critic Louis Leroy coined it in response to an exhibition featuring artists like Monet, ridiculing his painting “Impression, Sunrise,” claiming, “A preliminary drawing for a wallpaper pattern is more finished than this seascape.”
Modern iconic artists include figures like Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jackson Pollock. Duchamp is particularly remembered for “Fountain,” a readymade sculpture of a urinal. Perhaps SHL0MS himself could even be classified as a performance artist.
The questions then arise: What is art? What defines good art? How much, if anything, should we consider the artist’s intention? Context and intention may well be viewed as more significant than technical skill—maybe they already are.
