Date of Award

12-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture

Department

Art

First Advisor

James Hutson

Second Advisor

Geremy Carnes

Third Advisor

Khristin Landry

Abstract

This literature review explores the revolutionary effect of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) on digital art history, specifically concentrating on their capacity to enable dialogical exchanges with historical figures and deepen the understanding of artworks. This study considers the current state of research, detecting key methodologies, areas of improvement, and possible challenges and ethical concerns. The example historical figure used in this analysis is the iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Kahlo’s refusal to correspond to a specific artistic style makes her an ideal subject for generative AI and VR-based investigation, offering fresh insights into her work. The incorporation of generative artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies in humanities education, particularly in digital art history, has grown meaningful interest such as virtual museum exhibits and interactive art history course assignments offered in some universities. These tools allow immersive learning encounters, permitting students to become involved with art in advanced methods by using devices like Oculus VR. Text-based and image-based generative AI adds significantly to digital art history by producing new perceptions, depictions, and realizations from immense datasets. Additionally, the combination of generative AI and VR opens doors to vivid interactions with historical figures aided by natural language processing algorithms. While this tactic enhances historical and art history education, the following paper acknowledges the obstacles of artificial intelligence reproductions in presenting truthful responses. The paper addresses the ethical concerns linked to generative AI, stressing the importance of responsible usage in art history research. Ultimately, generative AI and VR integration promises to unlock new aspects of knowledge and understanding, further improving language learning, literature study, and cultural examination within the digital humanities.

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