Bright colors. Dark and gloomy. Colorful palette.
On the surface, these don’t seem like phrases that would stand out to experienced faculty like Heather Schatz as she read through essays from her Art 100 students. But a closer analysis of more than 600 papers revealed to her what non-specific phrasing like this says about a student: They’re using AI.
“That vagueness became a reliable tell,” she said. “AI is not good at writing about art.”
Within the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s art department, Schatz isn’t alone in trying to navigate AI and art — and the question of whether the two should come together at all.
In recent semesters, most syllabi at UW-Madison include some form of artificial intelligence policy — ranging from outright bans to permitting students to use it to assist in assignments.
While many STEM students find AI productive in assisting with coursework, student artists told The Daily Cardinal they look at AI with a less favorable lens.
Junior music education major Emerson Janes said he is concerned that AI uses artwork in databases without permission and shortcuts the creative process.
“It’s awful. It’s abhorrent. It needs to be stopped,” he said.
The cross section of AI and art on campus isn’t new. In 2023, the Wisconsin Science Festival hosted a lecture analyzing the ways AI aids artists while also exploring the nuance of authorship and what “art” truly is.
This summer, UW-Madison hosted an “AI and Society” workshop, giving attendees the chance to learn more about AI’s impact on various sectors, including the arts.
By creating spaces to discuss these issues, the university has tried to prepare students for an uncertain and evolving future.
“It provides some really exciting and groundbreaking developments that we can take advantage of, potentially,” UW-Madison digital media Professor Meg Mitchell said.