AI Art Perceptions with GenFrame – an Image Generating Picture Frame

Image-generation models are changing how we express ourselves in visual art. However, what people think of AI-generated art is still largely unexplored, especially compared to traditional art. In this paper, we present the design of an interactive research product, GenFrame - an image-generating picture frame that appears as a traditional painting but offers the viewer the agency to modify the depicted painting. In the current paper, we report on a study where we deployed the GenFrame in a traditional art museum and interviewed visitors about their views on AI art. When provoked by AI-generated art, people need more of the artist's backstory and emotional journey to make the artwork commensurate with traditional art. However, generative AI-enabled interactive experiences open new ways of engaging with art when a turn of a dial can modify art styles or motifs on a painting. A demo can be seen here: https://youtu.be/1rhW4fazaBY.