Christie's First AI Art Auction Yields Mixed Results, Sparking Debate in Art World

Christie's first AI art auction sees hits... and plenty of misses

New York (AFP) - Christie's first auction of art made by artificial intelligence (AI) ended Wednesday with mixed results, providing scant clues as to the future of the new and controversial medium. Fourteen of the 34 lots put on the block during the 14-day online auction either received no qualifying bids or were sold for less than the minimum Christie's had estimated. One did go for more than expected -- an animation by well-known digital artist Refik Anadol titled "Machine Hallucinations - ISS Dreams - A" which fetched the highest price at $277,200. But an "Emerging Faces" creation by American artist Pindar Van Arman, touted as another highlight of the auction, saw no qualifying bids. A work by the late American artist Charles Csuri, considered a pioneer of "computer art," went for $50,400, slightly below the bottom of a price range announced by the auction house. Auction sales tallied $728,784 in total, according to Christie's. For Nicole Sales Giles, Christie's director of digital art, the auction's results confirm that collectors recognize the influence and importance of the artists whose creations were featured. "There could have been a better selection of works that are more representative of new media and AI," said Steven Sacks, founder of New York gallery bitforms, which has been exhibiting digital art since 2001. "The bigger conversation is -- should they be at auction yet?" Sacks felt more time was still needed to educate people about the medium and for artists to gain credibility and exposure. A separate group of artists had launched a petition urging Christie's to cancel the sale. The 6,490 or so signatories argued that some pieces had been created with the help of AI models "known to have made unauthorized use of works protected by intellectual property law." For them, auctioning AI-created art lets money be made from "massive theft of works by human artists." In 2023, several artists sued generative AI start-ups, including popular platforms Midjourney and Stability AI, contending the software models were "trained" with human-made works to which they had no rights. Christie's and rival Sotheby's have featured AI-created works at auctions in the past, but this was Christie's first event devoted to works conceived with the new technology. In 2018, an algorithm-generated painting by French collective Obvious fetched $432,500, including fees and commissions, stunning the art world. And in 2022, an animated work by Refik Anadol was acquired, also at Christie's, for $1.38 million.

Christie's first AI art auction sees hits... and plenty of misses

Christie's first auction of art made by artificial intelligence (AI) ended Wednesday with mixed results, providing scant clues as to the future of the new and controversial medium. For them, auctioning AI-created art lets money be made from "massive theft of works by human artists."Christie's first auction of art made by artificial intelligence (AI) ended Wednesday with mixed results, providing scant clues as to the future of the new and controversial medium. Fourteen of the 34 lots put on the block during the 14-day online auction either received no qualifying bids or were sold for less than the minimum Christie's had estimated. One did go for more than expected -- an animation by well-known digital artist Refik Anadol titled "Machine Hallucinations - ISS Dreams - A" which fetched the highest price at $277,200. But an "Emerging Faces" creation by American artist Pindar Van Arman, touted as another highlight of the auction, saw no qualifying bids. A work by the late American artist Charles Csuri, considered a pioneer of "computer art," went for $50,400, slightly below the bottom of a price range announced by the auction house. Auction sales tallied $728,784 in total, according to Christie's. For Nicole Sales Giles, Christie's director of digital art, the auction's results confirm that collectors recognize the influence and importance of the artists whose creations were featured. "There could have been a better selection of works that are more representative of new media and AI," said Steven Sacks, founder of New York gallery bitforms, which has been exhibiting digital art since 2001. "The bigger conversation is -- should they be at auction yet?" Sacks felt more time was still needed to educate people about the medium and for artists to gain credibility and exposure. A separate group of artists had launched a petition urging Christie's to cancel the sale. The 6,490 or so signatories argued that some pieces had been created with the help of AI models "known to have made unauthorized use of works protected by intellectual property law." For them, auctioning AI-created art lets money be made from "massive theft of works by human artists." In 2023, several artists sued generative AI start-ups, including popular platforms Midjourney and Stability AI, contending the software models were "trained" with human-made works to which they had no rights. Christie's and rival Sotheby's have featured AI-created works at auctions in the past, but this was Christie's first event devoted to works conceived with the new technology. In 2018, an algorithm-generated painting by French collective Obvious fetched $432,500, including fees and commissions, stunning the art world. And in 2022, an animated work by Refik Anadol was acquired, also at Christie's, for $1.38 million.

Christie's first AI art auction sees hits... and plenty of misses

Christie's first auction of art made by artificial intelligence (AI) ended Wednesday with mixed results, providing scant clues as to the future of the new and controversial medium. Fourteen of the 34 lots put on the block during the 14-day online auction either received no qualifying bids or were sold for less than the minimum Christie's had estimated. One did go for more than expected -- an animation by well-known digital artist Refik Anadol titled "Machine Hallucinations -- ISS Dreams -- A" which fetched the highest price at $277,200. But an "Emerging Faces" creation by American artist Pindar Van Arman, touted as another highlight of the auction, saw no qualifying bids. A work by the late American artist Charles Csuri, considered a pioneer of "computer art," went for $50,400, slightly below the bottom of a price range announced by the auction house. Auction sales tallied $728,784 in total, according to Christie's. For Nicole Sales Giles, Christie's director of digital art, the auction's results confirm that collectors recognize the influence and importance of the artists whose creations were featured. "There could have been a better selection of works that are more representative of new media and AI," said Steven Sacks, founder of New York gallery bitforms, which has been exhibiting digital art since 2001. "The bigger conversation is -- should they be at auction yet?" Sacks felt more time was still needed to educate people about the medium and for artists to gain credibility and exposure. A separate group of artists had launched a petition urging Christie's to cancel the sale. The 6,490 or so signatories argued that some pieces had been created with the help of AI models "known to have made unauthorized use of works protected by intellectual property law." For them, auctioning AI-created art lets money be made from "massive theft of works by human artists." In 2023, several artists sued generative AI start-ups, including popular platforms Midjourney and Stability AI, contending the software models were "trained" with human-made works to which they had no rights. Christie's and rival Sotheby's have featured AI-created works at auctions in the past, but this was Christie's first event devoted to works conceived with the new technology. In 2018, an algorithm-generated painting by French collective Obvious fetched $432,500, including fees and commissions, stunning the art world. And in 2022, an animated work by Refik Anadol was acquired, also at Christie's, for $1.38 million.

Christie's AI art auction reportedly exceeds expectations | TechCrunch

Nearly 6,500 artists demanded in an open letter that fine art auction house Christie's cancel its first show dedicated solely to works created with AI. Yet, the show, Augmented Intelligence, went on -- and reportedly exceeded expectations. According to Christie's, the show brought in more than $700,000, with many lots reaching beyond their high estimates. The top sale was Anadol's "Machine Hallucinations -- ISS Dreams -- A," a dynamic painting that algorithmically reimagines data from the International Space Station and satellites. It fetched $277,200. Christie's VP and director of digital art sales, Nicole Sales Giles, told platform Artnet that the show's success "confirmed" that collectors recognize "creative voices pushing the boundaries of art." Many artists don't feel that way. In the aforementioned letter, the undersigned accused Christie's of featuring artwork created using AI models "known to be trained on copyrighted work" without a license that "exploit" human artists -- using their work without permission to build products that compete with them.

Christie's hosts its first AI-Generated Art auction: What happened? - Softonic

Christie's has ventured into the world of AI-generated art with its first dedicated auction, but the results were mixed. While some pieces sold for impressive sums, nearly half of the lots failed to reach expectations. The auction sparked debates on the value, credibility, and ethical concerns surrounding AI-generated artwork. The 14-day online auction featured 34 AI-created works, but 14 of them received no qualifying bids or sold below Christie's estimates. The total sales amounted to $728,784, highlighting both the potential and the uncertainty of this emerging market. One standout success was Refik Anadol's animated piece, "Machine Hallucinations -- ISS Dreams -- A", which fetched $277,200, the highest bid of the event. In contrast, a highly anticipated work by Pindar Van Arman, "Emerging Faces", failed to attract a qualifying bid, signaling the unpredictability of AI-driven art valuations. According to Nicole Sales Giles, Christie's director of digital art, the results confirmed that collectors recognize the importance of digital and AI artists. However, some experts, like Steven Sacks, founder of bitforms gallery, believe more time is needed for both education and market acceptance of AI-generated works. Adding to the controversy, over 6,490 artists signed a petition urging Christie's to cancel the sale, arguing that AI models used for some pieces were trained on copyrighted works without permission. This echoes ongoing lawsuits against AI startups like Midjourney and Stability AI, accused of using human-created art without proper rights. While Christie's and Sotheby's have previously auctioned AI-assisted works, this event was a milestone for AI as an independent artistic medium. With growing legal and ethical debates, the question remains: Is the art world ready for AI creations, or is it still too soon?

Christie's First-Ever AI Art Auction Earns $728,000, Plus Controversy

Artificial intelligence and art have been controversial for years. So it's no surprise that Christie's auction house's first-ever AI-dedicated auction, which Christie's says is the first ever from any major auction house, faced protests. In February, more than 5,600 artists signed an open letter asking Christie's to cancel the sale. "Many of the artworks you plan to auction were created using AI models that are known to be trained on copyrighted work without a license," the open letter reads in part. "These models, and the companies behind them, exploit human artists, using their work without permission or payment to build commercial AI products that compete with them. Your support of these models, and the people who use them, rewards and further incentivizes AI companies' mass theft of human artists' work." A representative for Christie's pointed to the auction house's official statement. "With this project, our goal was to spotlight the brilliant creative voices pushing the boundaries of technology and art," it read. "We also hoped collectors and the wider community would recognize their influence and significance in today's artistic landscape. The results of this sale confirmed that they did." The representative also pointed to a positive reception to the auction on X, formerly Twitter. Artist Daniel Ambrosi tweeted, "So thrilled to have been a part of this unforgettable experience... and delighted that my artwork is going home with someone!" The auction, dubbed Augmented Intelligence, closed Wednesday morning. More than 30 lots attracted hundreds of bids and totaled $728,784, Christie's reports. And there's a generational twist: The auction house says 37% of registrants were completely new to Christie's, and 48% of bidders were Millennials and members of Gen Z. "The auction redefines the evolution of art and technology, exploring human agency in the age of AI within fine art," a promotional statement from Christie's read. "From robotics to GANs to interactive experiences, artists incorporate and collaborate with artificial intelligence in a variety of mediums including paintings, sculptures, prints, digital art and more." (GANs, or generative adversarial networks, are generative AI models that create new data or images that resemble the data they are trained on.) The open letter gathered 6,493 signatures, of which 5,646 were verified. The signers range from illustrators to authors to art therapists to cinematographers, from countries all across the globe. The highest price in the sale was $277,200, for a work by Refik Anadol titled Machine Hallucinations -- ISS Dreams -- A. It used a data set of more than 1.2 million images taken from the International Space Station and satellites. Another work, Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst's Embedding Study 1 & 2, sold for $94,500. It was the result of a text-to-image model trained on altered images of Herndon herself, and came to Christie's following its inclusion in the 2024 Whitney Biennial.