Clickbait or creativity? The art world wrestles with AI

A visitor looks at artist Refik Anadol's 'Unsupervised' exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The AI-generated installation is meant to be a thought-provoking interpretation of the New York City museum's prestigious collection. Photo: AP

Online tools that can create wonderful, absurd and sometimes horrifying images using artificial intelligence (AI) have exploded in popularity, sparking soul-searching over the nature of art.

Tech companies tout their inventions as a liberating force of art for all, but purists argue that the artist is still the central cog in the machine.