🎨 Christie's Hosts Its First AI Art Auction—But Not Everyone Is Happy
The auction house Christie's is launching an auction-exhibition dedicated exclusively to AI-generated artworks. The event, titled "Augmented Intelligence," will take place from February 20 to March 5 in New York and online. The collection includes 20 lots with starting prices ranging from $15,000 to $250,000.
🎨 What's on the Auction Block?
The sale will feature works by Refik Anadol, known for his interactive data-driven installations; Harold Cohen, a pioneer of AI art who began experimenting with algorithms in the 1960s; and Pindar Van Arman, who develops robotic systems that mimic the painting process. A quarter of the lots are digital works, including NFTs, while the rest are physical pieces, such as sculptures, paintings, drawings, and light installations.
One of the most striking exhibits is Alexander Reben's 3.6-meter-tall robot, which will paint a new section of a canvas each time a bid is placed on it.
🔥 Artists Protest
Not everyone is happy about Christie's initiative. Nearly 4,000 artists have signed an open letter demanding to cancel the auction. They claim that the AI models used to create the artworks were trained on copyrighted works without permission. The protesters argue that AI developers exploit human artists by using their work without consent or compensation. Among the signatories are artists Kelly McKernan and Karla Ortiz, who have been suing Stability AI, Midjourney, Runway, and other companies since 2023 over these issues.
A spokesperson for Christie's stated that "in most cases" the AI used to create the auction's artworks was trained on the artists' own datasets. The auction house emphasizes that the featured artists are not just using AI but actively integrating it into their creative process.
More on AI Art:
➡️ Botto—the AI artist whose works sell for millions
