# Is Writing Prompts Really Making Art?

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.13049 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.13049/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 7 of its 31 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 26 Jan 2023.

## Builds on (most cited first, 7 of 7)

- [Attention Is All You Need](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.03762/) (2017)
- [Hierarchical Text-Conditional Image Generation with CLIP Latents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.06125/) (2022)
- [A Style-Based Generator Architecture for Generative Adversarial Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1812.04948/) (2018)
- [Make-A-Video: Text-to-Video Generation without Text-Video Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.14792/) (2022)
- [Talking About Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.03551/) (2022)
- [Understanding and Creating Art with AI: Review and Outlook](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.09109/) (2021)
- [Embodiment and Computational Creativity](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.00949/) (2021)

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Art and the science of generative AI: A deeper dive](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.04141/) (2023)
- [No Longer Trending on Artstation: Prompt Analysis of Generative AI Art](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.14425/) (2024)
- [The Mechanical Turkness: Tactical Media Art and the Critique of Corporate AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.17490/) (2024)
- [Artworks Reimagined: Exploring Human-AI Co-Creation through Body Prompting](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.05476/) (2024)
- [Evolving to the Aesthetics of a Vision-Language Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.00112/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In recent years Generative Machine Learning systems have advanced significantly. A current wave of generative systems use text prompts to create complex imagery, video, even 3D datasets. The creators of these systems claim a revolution in bringing creativity and art to anyone who can type a prompt. In this position paper, we question the basis for these claims, dividing our analysis into three areas: the limitations of linguistic descriptions, implications of the dataset, and lastly, matters of materiality and embodiment. We conclude with an analysis of the creative possibilities enabled by prompt-based systems, asking if they can be considered a new artistic medium.