Traditional symbols in artificial intelligence-generated art: Cultural, aesthetic, and technological implications

Irene Cabrera-Martos
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Irene Cabrera-Martos: University of Granada - Spain

Global Digital Culture & Communication, 2025, vol. 2, 12

Abstract: The development of generative artificial intelligence has significantly transformed contemporary processes of artistic creation, allowing the automatic generation of images that reinterpret visual styles and traditional cultural elements. In this context, the present study analyzes the use of traditional symbols in art generated by artificial intelligence, evaluating their ability to reproduce aesthetic and symbolic characteristics of cultural heritage. The research adopts a mixed methodological approach that combines experimental analysis of images generated by artificial intelligence models with qualitative evaluation carried out by specialists in digital art and cultural studies. To do this, a dataset composed of 120 traditional symbols from different visual traditions was built, from which 360 images were generated using generative models based on deep neural networks. Subsequently, the images were evaluated using criteria of aesthetic coherence, cultural fidelity and artistic originality using a Likert scale applied to a panel of experts. The results show that artificial intelligence systems have a high capacity to reproduce complex visual patterns and generate aesthetically consistent compositions. However, limitations related to the semantic interpretation of cultural symbols were also identified, which may lead to simplifications or partial reinterpretations of their original meaning. In conclusion, artificial intelligence represents a tool with high potential for the contemporary reinterpretation of visual cultural heritage, although its implementation requires interdisciplinary approaches that integrate technological, artistic and cultural knowledge to ensure culturally respectful and contextualized representations.

Keywords: Generative artificial intelligence; digital art; cultural symbols; cultural heritage; computational creativity. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gdc:gdccmm:v:2:y:2025:id:12

DOI: 10.65835/gdcc.2025.2.12

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