Hongyi Lin, Xiaoxue Leng, Yisheng Li, Yan Wang
The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has led to the widespread application of its art creation abilities, attracting significant attention. However, public recognition of the artistic value of AI remains limited. This phenomenon may reflect both deeply ingrained aversion to algorithms and anthropocentrism. Previous research has focused mainly on Western cultural contexts, presenting participants with artworks labeled as either human- or AI-created to examine the direct impact of creator identity on aesthetic judgment. Building upon this foundation, the current study investigated these effects among Chinese participants, providing richer descriptions of the creative process involved and introducing a human–AI collaborative condition to explore these relationships. Specifically, given the current lack of psychometrically validated instruments for measuring aesthetic experience in Chinese populations, Study 1 (N = 1,471) systematically adapted and validated a Chinese version of the Art Reception Survey, demonstrating its good reliability and validity. Study 2 (N = 446) employed a single-factor three-level experimental design. The results revealed that perceived creativity and aesthetic experience serially mediated the relationship between creator identity and perceived creativity, with anthropocentric beliefs as a moderator. These findings enhance our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underpinning evaluations of AI versus human art and inform ongoing discussions about how to balance transparent AI disclosure and audience perceptions in creative contexts.