Digital Canvas: Exploring Aesthetic Shifts in Literature and Art in the Age of AI

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into creative practices is not merely introducing new tools; it is fundamentally reshaping the aesthetics of literature and art. This paper argues that the “Digital Canvas” of the AI era fosters distinct aesthetic shifts characterized by algorithmic serendipity, latent space exploration, hybrid human-machine authorship, the aesthetics of the prompt, and a profound re-engagement with concepts of originality, authenticity, and the sublime. Analyzing works ranging from AI-generated poetry and novels (e.g., projects using GPT models) to visual art created with GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks) and diffusion models (e.g., DALL-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion), we explore how AI challenges traditional notions of authorial control, stylistic coherence, and the creative process itself. The resulting aesthetics embrace fragmentation, remix culture, uncanny juxtapositions, and a new form of technological sublime, while simultaneously sparking critical debates about agency, bias, labor, and the future of human creativity.