Christie’s AI Art Sales Trends and Ethics
Christie’s inaugural art auction, made entirely by AI concluded yesterday, on 5th February 2025. Augmented Intelligence was one of Christie’s art auctions, which resulted in numerous discussions about art trends, sales, and ethics. These offer limited insights into the prospects of using AI in a creative field.
What Was Up For Auction at Augmented Intelligence?
The 14-day auction consisted of 34 items. Out of them, 14 either received no qualifying bids or sold for amounts lower than pre-estimated Christie’s. Christie’s AI art sales trends and ethics suggest that one item was sold for more than was estimated — an animation, created by digital artist, Refik Anadol. Titled, ‘Machine Hallucinations – ISS Dreams – A,’ the artwork fetched $277,200, the highest bid.
Another fascinating piece, ‘Emerging Faces’ by American artist Pindar Van Arman, was considered a key piece but attracted no qualifying bids. On the other hand, late American artist Charles Csuri — a trailblazer of computer art — sold for $50,400, slightly beneath the lower end of Christie’s announced price range. In total, Christie’s accrued a total auction revenue of $728,784.
Did Digital Art Disappoint?
Nicole Sales Giles, Christie’s director of digital art, believes that Augmented Intelligence Christie’s art auction’s outcomes indicate that art collectors acknowledge the significance and impact of the artists involved in creating digital art. Steven Sacks, founder of Bitforms, a New York gallery, asserted that the public would need more time to acclimate to the idea, which is only possible through strong educational efforts. Only then can the artists establish credibility and visibility.
Blockchain and AI in Art Provenance at Christie’s – A Myth?
While many have applauded Christie’s recognition of digital art, a separate artist collective has initiated a petition calling to cancel Augmented Intelligence, Christie’s art auction. The petition has been signed by over 6,490 individuals. They contend that some of the AI-generated artworks have “made unauthorized use of works protected by intellectual property law.” The artist collective finds that the AI-created auction pieces have profited from “massive theft of works by human creators.”
In 2023, multiple artists filed lawsuits against generative AI companies, including popular platforms Midjourney and Stability AI, alleging that the software models were “trained” on human-made works without permission. While Christie’s and its competitor Sotheby’s have previously included AI-created works in their auctions, this marked Christie’s first dedicated event for art developed through this new technology.
In 2018, an algorithm-generated painting created by the French collective Obvious sold for $432,500, including fees and commissions, shocking the art community. Additionally, in 2022, an animated piece by Refik Anadol was purchased at Christie’s for $1.38 million.
Image – Holly Herndon & Mat Dryhurst, Embedding Study 1 & 2 (from the xhairymutantx series). Courtesy – Christie’s Images Ltd. 2025
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