Everything is derivative tbh, what I think matters for art is cultural impact. What creates cultural impact? Usually something that has just the right amount of edginess and awareness of the current social/political climate to raise eyebrows or hackles, while also being impressively performed.

I have seen some AI use that is good, but not by itself. It has always been part of implementation in other presentation styles where manual work usually elevates it. For example I’ve seen some comics created with AI that impressed me, the element that was really raising it above slop was the writer being good and the comic panel setting, the shapes of the panels, the crops of the images, the energy and impact, etc.

I wouldn’t be able to show you though as I’ve only seen them in passing and don’t remember the names to be able to link them. I think you’ll get my point though, the AI combined with a whole bunch of other labour can change their value into something interesting. Part of the problem I also think is that artists are against using AI at all, so there are very few people with the creative skills to make good things who are using it. The result is slop.