Visual Representation of Slovak Folkloric Entities in Generative AI

In recent years, generative artificial intelligence has emerged as a popular tool for visual creation among the general public, offering new possibilities for the representation of cultural narratives. The study examines how these models perceive and retain the specific attributes of folkloric figures when prompted in Slovak. The objective is to analyse the tension between authentic local characteristics and the inherent biases of models trained on extensive global datasets. The methodology employs a zero-context prompting strategy to evaluate the internal associations of current generative systems. The analysis quantifies the retention of defining visual attributes, and the degree of similarity to the established Slovak cultural context. The study identifies a pervasive concept collapsing by examining unique local beings such as the nature demon "Grgalica," alongside regional figures including the "Vodník" and the mining spirit "Permoník." Results indicate that unique Slovak entities often remain unrecognised, while others are frequently overwritten by diverse aesthetic biases, ranging from horror-themed tropes to the dominant visual narrative of contemporary pop culture and high fantasy. This finding suggests that the latent space of AI has the potential to create a standardised imaginary where particular regional identities are replaced by popular media proxies.