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Christie’s inaugural auction featuring artworks generated with artificial intelligence (AI) concluded on Wednesday (5) with varying outcomes, amidst scrutiny of the technology and concerns regarding intellectual property.
At the conclusion of a 14-day online sale, 14 out of the 34 lots did not attract sufficient bids or were sold below Christie’s estimated range.
Refik Anadol’s vibrant artwork “Machine Hallucinations – ISS Dreams – A” sold for $277,200, surpassing the expected price.
The second notable piece at the auction, “Emerging Faces” by American artist Pindar Van Arman, did not receive any bids. It was generated through a dialogue between two AI systems.
Nicole Sales Giles, in charge of digital art sales at Christie’s, noted that collectors and the public acknowledged the significance of the selected artists following the “confirm” event.
Steven Sacks, the founder of the New York gallery bitforms, expressed that the collection could have included more representative pieces of new media and AI art.
The key issue is whether the sale should have occurred at this time. There is still a need to educate individuals on the medium’s history and for artists to gain more recognition, exposure, and credibility.
Christie’s and its rival Sotheby’s have previously featured various works created with AI in past auctions, but this recent event was the first one solely focused on such pieces, generating a total revenue of $728,784 (4.2 million reais).
A petition was started by a group of artists urging Christie’s to call off the auction that concluded on Wednesday.
The approximately 6,490 individuals highlighted that various creations were produced using artificial intelligence models known for unauthorized use of copyrighted works.