The Dissolution and Reconstruction of “Heart–Hand Correspondence”: Ontological Controversy and Paradigm Reconstruction of Calligraphy Education in the AI Era

Abstract

From 2021 to 2026, the explosive growth of generative artificial intelligence ( AIGC ) has profoundly reshaped the ecosystem of traditional art education. As the core carrier of Chinese cultural heritage, calligraphy education is experiencing an unprecedented ontological crisis and paradigm transformation. Based on the review of the core literature from 2021 to 2026, this study explores the impact of technology intervention on the deep structure of calligraphy education from an interdisciplinary perspective. By comparing the views of technical determinists and humanistic subjectivity scholars, the study summarizes four controversial focuses : ontological value, technique acquisition, creative subjectivity and aesthetic standards. It is found that AI technology deconstructs the traditional“ heart-hand correspondence ” mechanism at the cognitive level, transforming it from an embodied life experience to a visual simulation result that can be generated by algorithms. However, in the AI era, ‘ mind-hand correspondence ’ has not been completely eliminated, but has undergone profound deconstruction and reconstruction. Although AI can improve the efficiency of skill training and expand the breadth of cultural communication, it cannot replace human emotional experience and cultural connotation. The future of calligraphy education lies in establishing the dominant position of ‘people ’, using AI tools to activate traditional cognition, and realizing the organic integration of technical rationality and humanistic spirit.