Proposal for Defining AI Art as the Operability of Artistic-Research Strategies by Tomas Marusiak

The lecture explores methodological and definitional questions aimed at delineating the conceptual frameworks of AIArt. These foundational propositions arise from the research project Aesthetics of AI Art, which situates its discourse at the intersection of computational neuroscience, aesthetics, and computer science.

The lecture advances the hypothesis that AIArt forms a natural progression in the evolution of new media art, employing artistic-research strategies that draw on both natural and human sciences. The lecture is divided into three main sections, each offering a distinct perspective on the potential framing of AIArt. The first section examines the extension of new media principles to define the characteristics of artworks and processes in AIArt. This includes conceptual elements such as interactivity, generativity, and algorithmic structuring. The second section focuses on the integration of artistic-research strategies, emphasizing the transposition of scientific methodologies—such as experimentation, data analysis, and system modeling—into the artistic domain. The third section investigates the concept of operability with consciousness-like phenomena in AI systems, particularly regarding their applications on the field of AIArt. The final part is reinforced by a reflection on the possibility and concept of operability with elements of consciousness in artistic strategies and projects by Lauren Lee McCarthy.