AI Artists vs. Prompt Users: Is the AI-Created Digital Outcome an Art?

I don’t know what you think about AI art creators or whether you accept that people writing prompts (some of them known as “prompt engineers”) can call themselves artists, but here’s my two cents on it.

Last night, I found myself knee-deep in this very argument during what started as a casual evening with friends.

We’re all artists, so naturally, the conversation meandered into the realm of digital art. But when I suggested that AI-generated art and the people behind it deserve to be called artists, the room split faster than a poorly glued canvas.

The drinks didn’t help — someone spilled theirs while passionately defending “traditional” art. But despite the quarrel and a slight hangover this morning, I stand by my stance: the outcome of AI art is art, and the process deserves its place in creative discourse.

Tools, Not Replacements

The loudest pushback I got was this: “AI just spits out random stuff! It’s not the same as creating.”

Let’s unpack that.

Sure, AI generates visuals, but it doesn’t do so out of thin air.

There’s always a human guiding the process — crafting prompts, tweaking settings, and curating the final result.