AI as Muse: Redefining Artistic Authorship in the Age of Generative Art

Abstract

The emergence of artificial intelligence as a creative partner in artistic production challenges fundamental assumptions about authorship, creativity, and artistic agency. This paper examines how generative AI technologies are redefining the concept of artistic authorship through analysis of contemporary practices, theoretical frameworks, and legal implications. Drawing from case studies of AI-generated artworks, interviews with digital artists, and philosophical discourse on creativity, this research explores the spectrum of human-AI collaboration in creative processes. The analysis reveals that rather than replacing human creativity, AI functions as an increasingly sophisticated muse, expanding the boundaries of artistic expression while raising complex questions about attribution, ownership, and the nature of creativity itself. Findings suggest that traditional notions of singular authorship are giving way to more collaborative and distributed models of creative agency. The paper concludes with implications for artistic practice, legal frameworks, and educational approaches in an era where the line between human and machine creativity continues to blur.