This has been studied for years. It is called the effort heuristic, and it is a form of cognitive dissonance. AI is just 100xing it. In 2004…

This has been studied for years. It is called the effort heuristic, and it is a form of cognitive dissonance. AI is just 100xing it. In 2004, a study showed that participants consistently rated identical creative works (poems, paintings, crafts) more favorably when told they required more time to create. This effect persisted regardless of expertise and was stronger when quality was ambiguous. What happens when you post a real Monet and say it’s AI? The coolest art social experiment I’ve seen in a while. Thank you @SHL0MS

Source: Cristobal Valenzuela (X) | 2026-05-14