This exploration has leveraged the synergy of three methods to address the following question:

Each method serves a distinct purpose, yet their integration offers mutual enrichment towards a multidimensional analysis.

Netnography anchors the study in the present context. Through our observation and data collection from online communities concerned with algorithmic creativity and its effect on human art we were able to get a nuanced perspective on current ideas and attitudes towards this topic in real time. Through our capturing of relevant perceptual data of the impact of AI-generated art It provides a gauge on contemporary societal attitudes and serves as a baseline for understanding the impacts, or perceived future impacts, of this technology.

Science fiction extends the study into potential future possibilities. This method allows for speculative thinking, ​imagining how AI might evolve and impact art and society. It builds on insights from netnography and scientific ​illustration, projecting them into future scenarios that explore ethical, cultural, and societal implications. The ​narrative plays on the dimensions of psychologically temporal distance, as it is projecting current worries onto a ​distant future. It also uses the dimension of psychologically social distance, as it looks at a human being becoming ​a roboticised and foreign version of herself to transform into a devoid AI.

The integration of these methods creates a synergy that enriches the study and our output of a scientific website. ​Netnography's real-world insights provide context for the objective comparisons made in scientific illustration. In ​turn, the concrete data from netnography also informs the speculative narratives of science fiction, grounding ​them in reality while allowing for creative exploration. This approach offers a nuanced and comprehensive ​understanding of AI's evolving role in art and how that role impacts human art and creativity.