|
ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing ArtsISSN (Online): 2582-7472
Evaluating AI-Generated Images in Fine Art Education Anup Kumar Singh 1 1 Assistant
Professor, Department of Fashion Design, ARKA JAIN University Jamshedpur,
Jharkhand, India 2 Department
of Information Technology Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune,
Maharashtra, 411037, India 3 Assistant Professor, School of Business Management, Noida International
University, India 4 Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology, Vinayaka Mission’s
Research Foundation (DU), Tamil Nadu, India 5 Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Information
Technology, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be
University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India 6 Centre of Research Impact and Outcome, Chitkara University, Rajpura-
140417, Punjab, India
1. INTRODUCTION The advent of AI in the creative fields has radically changed the way visual culture is made, perceived and learned. It is now possible to produce high-quality images with textual prompts or sparse visual input due to the rapid development of generative models: GANs, diffusion systems, transformer-based architectures, and so on. The technological change contests the traditional beliefs about the work of art, originality, and aesthetic tastes, and makes educators redefine the way creative abilities would be developed in the classroom. Students can find and discover visual concepts that are complex through AI-generated image tools such as DALL•E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. Such systems are not only machines of production but also associates of creativity, which extends the limits of imagination. In the case of unskilled learners, AI provides them with an avenue to visualize the concepts that might be beyond their level of technical ability, facilitating ideation and promoting risk-taking Rodrigues and Rodrigues (2023). In the case of advanced students, AI offers the platform to criticize, dissect, and redefine computational aesthetics in a larger artistic investigation. However, the incorporation of these tools also brings up the issues about authorship of artworks, dependency, homogenized aesthetics, and ethical considerations of the models that have been trained on large collections of manmade art. The increased use of AI in digital media and creative industries increases the topicality of the topic in academic circles even further. To animation, illustration, game design, advertising and interactive media, AI-assisted workflows are increasingly being introduced to art students Balcombe (2023). Fine art programs should therefore establish methods through which they prepare learners to be technically fluent as well as critical in their literacy. The teachers should not only show the students how to create images using AI but also understand how to interpret the formal, expressive, and cultural aspects of such products. Learning about algorithmic biases, learning about the mechanics of prompt engineering, and assessing the conceptual consistency of AI imagery are all the necessary skills in the context of the contemporary studio pedagogy. There are few structurally guided schemes to analyze the AI-created images in learning settings despite the wide use of AI-based tools (see Figure 3) Ning et al. (2024). The historical measures of assessment, which include composition, originality, craftsmanship, and emotional depth, were created in relation to human-made works. AI is a breaker of these categories, as it separates the intent of the art with the visual performance. This leads to important questions: How ought teachers to evaluate creativity in case one of the components of the process is automated? Is it possible to say that there is emotional resonance with machine-generated artifact? How can the difference between meaningful artistic engagement and passive dependence on generative systems be made? The answers to these questions are best achieved through interdisciplinary approach that encompasses aesthetic theory, human computer interaction, and modern day pedagogical approaches Demartini et al. (2024). Besides, the adoption of AI-generated imagery is not just the issue of technological adoption; it is a hint at the culture of posthuman creativity in which artistic practice is decentered among humans, machines, and datasets. Current education of fine art needs to address this transformation by creating new models that promote co-creation, focus on reflective practice, and promote ethics. It is necessary to encourage the students to apply AI not as a piece of cake but as a provocative tool with the help of which they can question visual culture, disrupt conventions, and broaden the scope of artistic expression Ivanova et al. (2024). 2. Literature Review 2.1. Overview of AI in visual arts and image synthesis Artificial intelligence has become more and more a revolutionary force in the visual arts as it changes the limits between the human creative and the computational aesthetics. The history of image synthesis, beginning with primitive algorithmic art, up to the current state of complex, emotionally evoking, context sensitive image generation with neural networks, has allowed machines to create more or less complex images, which have more emotional appeal and are context sensitive. Modern AI generators like OpenAI DALL•E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion use large scale data and experiment with multimodal learning to generate complex visual images based on linguistic input. This has been referred to as a transition between the tool-oriented creativity to collaborative creativity wherein AI acts as a co-author instead of a passive tool Wang and Yang (2024). In the context of fine art, the AI generation of images enables quick ideation, cross-style fusion, and experimentation with abstract visual types that are out of bounds of classical artistic ability bases. Simultaneously, there have been challenges in form of critical discourses on the issues of authorship, authenticity, and ontological position of AI-generated art. The theorists and educators of art observe that the technologies necessitate new aesthetics that consider the algorithmic mediation and data-driven creativity De Winter et al. (2023). The meeting point between AI and visual arts has additionally triggered philosophical discussions on the meaning-making of human beings, the morality of working with datasets, and the homogenization of culture that can occur due to imitation of the patterns of algorithms. In general, the incorporation of AI into the visual practice has swept the aesthetics of originality and compelled educators to strike a balance between technical skills and reflective interpretation of art in the digital learning setting Hamal et al. (2022). 2.2. Role of Generative Models (GANs, Diffusion Models, Transformers) in Art Creation Generative models are the mathematical basis of AI-based works of art and allow machines to produce imagery that simulates, believes, or reinvents creative thinking in humans. The introduction of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), which were initially proposed by Goodfellow et al. (2014), changed everything, as it provided a dual-networks architecture, so-called generator and discriminator, which learn to cooperate and train to generate realistic images. GANs have been used in style transfer, hybrid portraiture, surrealist abstraction, and recreation of lost artworks by artists and designers Timms (2016). Nevertheless, GANs are associated with such issues as mode collapse, instability in training, and other problems that restrict their interpretive capabilities in educational settings. In more recent developments, diffusion models have outperformed GANs in quality and controllability producing images in an iterative way of noise removal, guided by text or visual prompts. The probabilistic nature of them enables the educator and the students to pursue gradual changes and overlay of concepts in the creative process Holmes (2024). These systems are a step towards semantic generation of art, meaning and construction generated dynamically as a result of human-machine conversation. 2.3. Pedagogical Approaches to Teaching Art with AI Tools The integration of AI technologies in the pedagogy of fine art is a phenomenon that requires the reconsideration of the concept of creativity, authorship, and assessment in the educational process. The conventional approach of teaching art focuses on manual ability, observation, and working with material, whereas AI-based pedagogy presents dialogic and procedural creation. Teachers are shifting towards constructivist and co-creative approaches and are placing students in the position of active explorers who negotiate meaning by interacting with intelligent systems Williamson et al. (2020). In this paradigm, the role of AI as a cognitive partner is to scaffold the learning process, as well as give feedback and continue to experiment with aesthetics. A number of pedagogical models have been developed. The AI-as-studio-assistant model incorporates the use of generative tools into the design process of the iterative design, conceptualizing ideas and building upon them. The critical AI literacy model is dedicated to demystifying algorithms- it is important to encourage students to doubt the ethics of the datasets, bias in algorithms, and aesthetics in machines. A hybrid human-machine curriculum is a blend of technical presentations and reflective critique sessions, whereby dialogue on the aspect of creativity and originality is encouraged Fawns (2022). Table 1 provides the overview of the literature on AI-generated image evaluation and pedagogical uses of art. The available empirical studies have indicated that learners relying on artificial intelligence technologies exhibit a higher visual diversity, accelerated idea generation, and greater involvement. Table 1
3. Theoretical Framework 3.1. Constructivist learning theory and digital creativity Constructivist theory of learning focuses on knowledge being a product constructed by the learners through experience, interaction and reflection. This framework places students as constructors of meaning (and not receivers of artistic knowledge) in the context of fine art education. Combined with digital creativity and AI generated imagery, constructivism will invite the learner to critically engage with the computational processes and the results of an algorithm as part of their individual creative discovery. The application of AI applications like DALL•E or Midjourney turns into a dialogue with the user- the students experiment with input and cogitate over the resulting output, as well as constantly improve both their aesthetic sense and their conception of the underlying concept. In digital art education, constructivist ideologies are expressed in the form of project-based learning, collaborative experimentation and reflective critique sessions. The principles of constructivist learning are interconnected with the idea of digital creativity in art education via AI-based learning, as shown by Figure 1. Students build up visual knowledge in traveling between human will and machine proposal, and a more profound understanding of the ways in which creativity may be developed in the process of negotiation with technology. Figure 1 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Table 2 Quantitative Evaluation of Student Performance Metrics |
||
|
Evaluation Metric |
Traditional Method |
AI-Assisted Method |
|
Originality Score (%) |
71.2 |
88.5 |
|
Expressiveness Score (%) |
74.6 |
89 |
|
Technical Quality (%) |
80.1 |
92.3 |
|
Emotional Response Rating
(%) |
74.4 |
85.8 |
|
Average Aesthetic Score (%) |
75.6 |
91.3 |
It is a quantitative comparison of the measures of student performance in traditional and AI-assisted creative techniques, depicted by Table 2, and all of them reflected an increase in all aspects considered. The originality score was much above 71.2 percent and received 88.5 percent that meant that AI tools stimulated greater experimental visual analysis and broader idea variety.
Figure 3

Figure 3 Visualization of Learning and Creative Outcomes
Across Art Evaluation Metrics
Figure 3 shows the variations in the learning and creative performance in various art evaluation measures. A further considerable upsurge occurred in the expressiveness score to 89% that indicated the enhanced ability of the students to express mood, symbolism, and conceptual intents in an instructed way through manipulating prompts.
6.2. Comparative Evaluation Between Human- and AI-Generated Artworks
The analysis of the human and AI-generated artworks revealed that the perceptions, technique, and emotional appeal in the human work were slightly different. Human made works of art scored more on narrative intention (8.6/10) and perceived authenticity (8.2/10) a reminder of the enduring value of human emotion and setting as an art making medium. Conversely, AI-generated works declined in visual complexity, styles, and balance, and the mean of the technical quality was 9.1/10. The customers were inclined to mention that the results of AI were beautiful and lacked emotional specificity, captivating but deprived of a personal narrative. The pieces that mixed both human and AI input got the highest average aesthetic rating, 8.9/10, and the overall aesthetic rating, which confirms that the co-creation between human beings and machines is possible.
Table 3
|
Table 3 Comparative Evaluation of Human- and AI-Generated Artworks |
|||
|
Evaluation Criterion |
Human Artworks |
AI-Generated Artworks |
Hybrid (Human + AI) |
|
Originality (%) |
84 |
81 |
89 |
|
Technical Quality (%) |
82 |
91 |
88 |
|
Expressiveness (%) |
87 |
79 |
86.8 |
|
Emotional Resonance (%) |
85.6 |
78 |
89 |
|
Narrative Intention (%) |
86 |
75 |
88 |
Table 3 provides a comparative study of human, AI-generated, and hybrid (Human + AI) pieces of art in terms of five major aesthetics criteria such as originality, technical quality, expressiveness, emotional impacts, and narrative intentions.
Figure 4

Figure 4 Trend Comparison of Artistic Evaluation Metrics
Across Human, AI, and Hybrid Creations
Figure 4 illustrates the patterns of the assessment of human, AI, and hybrid artistic works. These results suggest that there are obvious advantages and disadvantages of every creative mode. Human paintings were the most stressed with narrative intention (86) and expressiveness (87) on the immutable value of human emotion, intuition and situational consciousness in the narrative of art.
Figure 5

Figure 5 Comparative Bar Analysis of Human vs. AI vs. Hybrid
Artwork Quality Metrics
In comparison, the works of art developed through AI exhibited a higher score in the technical quality (91%), machine accuracy, balance of the composition and style elegance, depending on the considerable volumes of the training data. Comparison of the quality measures of the human, AI, and hybrid artworks is provided in the form of bar as illustrated in Figure 5. However, since they received lower marks in emotional and narrative (7879%), it means that they are not as expressive and psychologically deep.
7. Conclusion
The study of fine art using AI-generated image is a groundbreaking intersection point in the art and the art education. As demonstrated in this paper, generative AI applications such as DALL•E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion are not merely technological tools but the catalysts of the remaking of creativity, authorship, and the aesthetic judgment. With the help of combining computational intelligence and human will, the art classrooms can be turned into the space of co-creation, where the learners discusses the algorithms and works with the new types of visual representation and conceptualism. The hypothesis that the presence of AI enhances the capabilities of students to ideate, display stylistic variety, and experiment with compositional patterns were proven with empirical data. It was demonstrated in the quantitative analyses that there was an improvement in the aesthetic scores and in the qualitative feedback that there existed more curiosity, more engagement and more reflective thought. However, the results also showed that there were certain tensions that were continuing between automation and authenticity the students were also prone to complain about where the creative property, not to mention the emotional appeal of machine-created art, was. The observations made in this paper introduce the relevance of pedagogical scaffold in the application of technology, such that they support artistic intuition and manual prowess rather than obstructing these facets. The study introduces a multidimensional assessment paradigm that incorporates originality, expressiveness, technical quality and emotive response- that gives the educators the empirical procedures to assess the creative hybrid products. Along with it, constructivism, aesthetic theory, and human-computer co-creativity can provide them with a conceptual underpinning to the development of future curriculum.
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
None.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
None.
REFERENCES
Balcombe, L. (2023). AI Chatbots in Digital Mental Health. Informatics, 10(4), Article 82. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics10040082
Dathathri, S., Madotto, A., Lan, Z., Fung, P., and Neubig, G. (2020). Plug and Play Language Models: A Simple Approach to Controlled Text Generation (arXiv:1912.02164). arXiv.
De Winter, J. C. F., Dodou, D., and Stienen, A. H. A. (2023). ChatGPT in Education: Empowering Educators Through Methods for Recognition and Assessment. Informatics, 10(4), Article 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics10040087
Demartini, C. G., Sciascia, L., Bosso, A., and Manuri, F. (2024). Artificial Intelligence Bringing Improvements to Adaptive Learning in Education: A Case Study. Sustainability, 16(3), Article 1347. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031347
Fawns, T. (2022). An Entangled Pedagogy: Looking Beyond the Pedagogy–Technology Dichotomy. Postdigital Science and Education, 4(3), 711–728. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-022-00302-7
Gong, C., Jing, C., Chen, X., Pun, C. M., Huang, G., Saha, A., Nieuwoudt, M., Li, H. X., Hu, Y., and Wang, S. (2023). Generative AI for Brain Image Computing and Brain Network Computing: A Review. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 17, Article 1203104. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1203104
Hamal, O., El Faddouli, N. E., Alaoui Harouni, M. H., and Lu, J. (2022). Artificial Intelligence in Education. Sustainability, 14(5), Article 2862. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052862
Holmes, W. (2024). AIED—Coming of age? International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 34(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-023-00352-3
Ivanova, M., Grosseck, G., and Holotescu, C. (2024). Unveiling Insights: A Bibliometric Analysis of Artificial Intelligence in Teaching. Informatics, 11(1), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics11010010
Leonard, N. (2020). Entanglement Art Education: Factoring ARTificial Intelligence and Nonhumans into Future Art Curricula. Art Education, 73(3), 22–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2020.1746163
Ning, Y., Zhang, C., Xu, B., Zhou, Y., and Wijaya, T. T. (2024). Teachers’ AI-TPACK: Exploring the Relationship Between Knowledge Elements. Sustainability, 16(3), Article 978. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16030978
Rodrigues, O. S., and Rodrigues, K. S. (2023). A Inteligência Artificial na Educação: Os Desafios do ChatGPT. Texto Livre, 16, e45997. https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-3652.2023.45997
Timms, M. J. (2016). Letting Artificial Intelligence in Education out of the Box: Educational Cobots and Smart Classrooms. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 26(2), 701–712. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-016-0095-y
Wang, Y., and Yang, S. (2024). Constructing and Testing AI International Legal Education Coupling-Enabling Model. Sustainability, 16(4), Article 1524. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041524
Williamson, B., Bayne, S., and Shay, S. (2020). The Datafication of Teaching in Higher Education: Critical Issues and Perspectives. Teaching in Higher Education, 25(4), 351–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1748811
|
|
This work is licensed under a: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
© ShodhKosh 2024. All Rights Reserved.