# The Environmental Aesthetics of Generative AI January 2025 **Opening (not a real abstract):** The Environmental Aesthetics of Generative AI Introduction How can we evaluate AI from an aesthetic point of view? In what follows, we suggest that function-based approaches such as Functional Beauty and Jane Forsey’s Kantian approach struggle with generative AI. We argue that adapting Carlson’s environmental aesthetics provides a better account of the appreciation of both generative AI systems and the content they produce. Carlson’s perspective—particularly his emphasis on understanding an environment in light of scientific or common-sense knowledge—can illuminate our appreciation of AI systems. By viewing these systems as environments shaped by cultural and technical forces, we can place their outputs and internal processes within a broader context that enhances aesthetic appreciation. Finally, we demonstrate how this