AI-generated vs. Human Artworks. A Perception Bias Towards Artificial Intelligence?
Martin Ragot, Nicolas Martin, Salomé Cojean
Abstract
Via generative adversarial networks (GANs), artificial intelligence (AI) has influenced many areas, especially the artistic field, as symbol of a human task. In human-computer interaction (HCI) studies, perception biases against AI, machines, or computers are generally cited. However, experimental evidence is still lacking. This paper presents a wide-scale experiment in which 565 participants are asked to evaluate paintings (which were created by humans or AI) on four dimensions: liking, perceived beauty, novelty, and meaning. A priming effect is evaluated using two between-subject conditions: Artworks presented as created by an AI, and artworks presented as created by a human artist. Finally, the paintings perceived as being drawn by human are evaluated significantly more highly than those perceived as being made by AI. Thus, using such a methodology and sample in an unprecedented way, the results show a negative bias of perception towards AI and a preference bias towards human systems.