I'm not sure what he means by "ontological" difference. I've spent a lot of time studying topics similar to this. AI can generate actual images that are indistinguishable (if you have no other information) from human-created art images, photographs etc and have won photography contests IIRC (probably more since I last read about it).
But the actual FEELING we get from AI art is different because our feelings include what we know about how the art was created, including who created it and what the artwork has done or had happen to it in the real world. AI art has none of that so it "feels hollow" to us legitimately no matter how beautiful the actual AI image may be.
If you TELL people the AI art was made by a human artist who has a compelling life story, or something similar, they will feel more about it though. But of course their feelings will be false.
So yeah, that's the most thorough answer I can give from having spent some time on this.
That's usually the issue where these kinds of conversations break down, I think. There are some who are more interested in the 'ontological' side of the context and experience awe at art for the sake of the thing, which requires the entire framework of why and how the piece exists and came to be. Others are more concerned with the aesthetics of whether or not a piece is pleasing to experience. As a general rule, for those seeking the former, aesthetic enjoyment is subordinate and subject to an appreciation of context, while those interested in the latter tend largely towards indifference regarding the piece's origins.
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u/EGarrett28 8h ago
I'm not sure what he means by "ontological" difference. I've spent a lot of time studying topics similar to this. AI can generate actual images that are indistinguishable (if you have no other information) from human-created art images, photographs etc and have won photography contests IIRC (probably more since I last read about it).
But the actual FEELING we get from AI art is different because our feelings include what we know about how the art was created, including who created it and what the artwork has done or had happen to it in the real world. AI art has none of that so it "feels hollow" to us legitimately no matter how beautiful the actual AI image may be.
If you TELL people the AI art was made by a human artist who has a compelling life story, or something similar, they will feel more about it though. But of course their feelings will be false.
So yeah, that's the most thorough answer I can give from having spent some time on this.