Paper Type
Complete
Paper Number
PACIS2026-2122
Description
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming creative industries by enabling new forms of artistic production and human–AI collaboration. While prior research has focused on technological capabilities or public perceptions of AI-generated art, little is known about how artists interpret and integrate AI into their creative practice. This study examines how AI artists construct and negotiate their identities in AI-mediated creative work. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 AI artists across visual arts, audiovisual production, and music and analyzed the data using a theory-informed deductive thematic analysis. Our findings show that identity construction occurs across four dimensions: personal identity, social identity, role identity, and IT identity. Artists position themselves as innovators, situate their work within emerging AI-art communities, redefine professional roles toward orchestration and experimentation, and integrate AI technologies into their creative self-understanding. These findings extend identity theory by showing how technological change reshapes professional identities in human–AI creative contexts.
Recommended Citation
Wittig, Dominique; Eckhardt, Andreas; and Finze, Nikola, "Constructing Professional Identities in the Age of AI: A Qualitative Study of AI Artists" (2026). PACIS 2026 Proceedings. 16.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2026/ai_fow/ai_fow/16
Constructing Professional Identities in the Age of AI: A Qualitative Study of AI Artists
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming creative industries by enabling new forms of artistic production and human–AI collaboration. While prior research has focused on technological capabilities or public perceptions of AI-generated art, little is known about how artists interpret and integrate AI into their creative practice. This study examines how AI artists construct and negotiate their identities in AI-mediated creative work. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 AI artists across visual arts, audiovisual production, and music and analyzed the data using a theory-informed deductive thematic analysis. Our findings show that identity construction occurs across four dimensions: personal identity, social identity, role identity, and IT identity. Artists position themselves as innovators, situate their work within emerging AI-art communities, redefine professional roles toward orchestration and experimentation, and integrate AI technologies into their creative self-understanding. These findings extend identity theory by showing how technological change reshapes professional identities in human–AI creative contexts.
Comments
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