I think perhaps this is the nub of it, it DOES matter. It matters beyond a mere nod at the creator, it matters because of the emotional weight I apply to the work.

If I invest emotionally in a created work in any way, I want, no NEED to feel that the artist was AS invested if not more, it's how we connect across the ages with the creator of the work.

It's the inherent desire within each of us, to connect and find meaning. It would be at best an emotional betrayal if one were to admire a work, to read into it and invest in it to then find out that the human spirit was not (in first hand) involved in the journey to creation.

Yes, I can admire the work of an AI, I can admire the generated work, but I "endure" my humanity alone if there is no balance to the the work from the artist, for the pain, joy, sadness or love - the view/hear elements should have as much weight as the "create" part.

I mean if an AI created a cake for me I would enjoy it, I might REALLY enjoy the flours but, if wanted to experience the cake, the pie, heck the steak the robot cooked I would need to know that heart and soul provided for some unknown element of the journey to my mouth. If I go to a restaurant and pay £150 for a steak I want to know that it was ooked by an Artisan, with feeling and panache, with heart and soul, not just recipe.

That I cannot TELL intrinsically whether it was "created" or merely "generated" is not part of the equation, the "telling" is not important, the "knowing" is. If you are told is was created and then find out it was merely generated that to me is the very essence of emotional and human betrayal, a lie.