Between AI and Intuition: How I Choose Artwork for Open Calls

Between AI and Intuition: How I Choose Artwork for Open Calls

Recently, I experimented with using ChatGPT to help select which of my artworks to submit for open calls. I asked the AI to evaluate several of my paintings and recommend which pieces best fit each competition’s theme. Especially when the theme was abstract or emotionally nuanced, I was curious to see how the AI would interpret and match the concept with my work.
ChatGPT offered logical and consistent suggestions, sometimes even pointing out connections I hadn’t considered. In some cases, its analysis helped me reflect on my own work from a new perspective.
But when it came to the final decision—choosing the one piece to submit—it was often a sudden flash of intuition that guided me. That moment of “This is the one!” came not from analysis, but from a strong inner feeling. Interestingly, the works I selected based on this intuitive pull were more likely to be chosen by juries.
This experience reaffirmed that while AI can be a valuable tool in the creative process, it cannot replace the artist’s instinct and emotional connection to their own work. ChatGPT has become a helpful collaborator, but the final judgment still comes from within—from a place of feeling rather than logic.
Going forward, I’ll continue to explore new ways to integrate AI into my creative decisions. But I’ll also keep honoring my gut instincts. After all, art is ultimately about touching the human spirit.

An artist reflects on using ChatGPT to choose artworks for open calls and discovers that intuitive, emotional decisions often lead to more successful outcomes than AI-based suggestions.