AI as an Artistic Medium

Helliwell, Alice C (2025) AI as an Artistic Medium. Art Style, 16 (1). pp. 31-53. ISSN 2596-1810

Abstract

In 2022, Stephen Marche, writing for The Atlantic, claimed, “We’re Witnessing the Birth of a New Artistic Medium.” However, since then, we have seen dismissive criticisms of the use of AI in the arts. This paper takes Marche’s claim seriously and argues that Artificial Intelligence (AI), understood as machine learning algorithms, is a new artistic medium. In this paper, I begin by discussing the concept of the medium in the arts. I apply this concept to AI, following the tradition of legitimisation and evaluation of new media through medium analysis (as has been done with photography, cinema, comics, and video games). I also consider some initial objections about AI as an artistic medium, arguing that these objections fail. I then move on to discuss the medium-specificity thesis. This is the idea that each medium of art offers particular qualities that affect what artists can achieve within it, and this, in turn, informs how we can properly evaluate works in that medium. I apply medium specificity to AI, considering first a strong version of medium specificity, then Gaut’s weaker (but arguably more defensible) claims of medium specificity. Through this, I argue that AI can be considered as a medium with unique features, the quality of which we might call ‘machinic’ (much like the cinematic as applied to the medium of cinema). Finally, I argue that AI may indeed constitute not just a medium but also an artform, albeit one which we have yet to see reach full potential. With this paper, I aim to demonstrate that understanding AI as an artistic medium is helpful for reasoning about works of art made with AI, and suggest a potential way forward for critical evaluation of AI art.

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