## AI Art: Rise of the Connoisseurs - Epstein et al. have suggested that an advantage of generative AI systems is that they lower the barriers to creating art (2023, p. 5) - This claim holds to some extent; individuals lacking proficiency in [[traditional art]] forms can employ generative AI to create images, music etc. - Nonetheless, this assertion requires qualification.  - We will argue that users of GAI require a different type of skill than those exhibited by traditional artists.  - We propose that this skill is a combination of technical system knowledge and art-historical domain expertise. Specifically, we argue that [[skillful use]] of AI art tools requires both understanding the AI system's functionality and comprehensive knowledge of the relevant art form's history, techniques, and methods. According to an infamous stereotype, the art critic can be seen as a failed artist. Midjourney reverses the stereotype by casting the artist as a successful art critic. [[This framework]] suggests that art historians or critics may be more adept at manipulating AI art systems than traditional artists who lack broad historical knowledge.  - A benefit of this account is that it demonstrates how creators using generative AI can, in certain cases, be regarded as [[the authors]] of their output, irrespective of whether it was ethically permissible for the owners of such systems to include traditional artists in their datasets. - By separating skilled AI use from "button-pushing," our account bases authorship on how users intentionally apply technical knowledge and art expertise, not on how the AI system was made.