Negative Capabilities: Investigating Apophasis in AI Text-to-Image Models

Through a case study of images generated by Swedish artist Steph Maj Swanson using an AI text-to-image (T2I) model, this article explores the strategy negative weight prompting in T2I models as phenomenon apophasis. Apophasis is linguistic commonly deployed texts mystical theology to express ineffability God through concepts. In article, comparison apophatic strategies and engaged highlight mutual benefit theorising with help religious theory With this, builds on previous work New Visibility Religion, enchantment, post-secularism—especially research Beth Singler continuities representations AI. Recent prompt engineering, computational linguistics, geometry invoked explain processes models. Poststructuralist semiotics then employed theorise search for Transcendental Signified theology. The concludes that can elucidate technological use cases, subsequently arguing further dialogue between scholars artificial intelligence studies, revaluation religion sphere.