Why artists are adopting AI—and what it reveals about tech's future
A study of 19 Nordic artists reveals that AI adoption in creative fields stems from vastly different motivations, ranging from pragmatic efficiency gains to ideological enthusiasm. The findings expose deep cultural tensions around AI that business leaders and policymakers need to understand as creative industries become increasingly central to economic strategy.
Originaltitel: AI adoption in the arts: A study of motivations and attitudes among Nordic AI artists
<p>Adoption of AI technologies in the arts has faced a divided reception and raised controversies—while some artists critique them, others embrace the opportunities they provide. In this paper, we contribute empirical insights into what motivates artists’ adoption of AI art technologies, as well as what kind of worldviews these motivations for AI adoption in artistic contexts embody. We shed light on these questions by presenting results from a qualitative interview study (N = 19) of AI artists practicing in Nordic countries. Five key themes emerged that describe artists’ motivations for using AI in their work, which we analyse in reflection with Kerschner and Ehlers' Attitudes Towards Technology (ATT) framework in terms of underlying attitudes of AI-Enthusiasm, Pragmatism, Romanticism, and Scepticism. Our analysis diversifies the understanding of why artists use AI, surfacing cultural and political tensions inherent in adoption of AI technologies for artistic and creative use.</p>