October 13, 2025

In October 2018, something truly spicy happened in the art world! Christie’s sold 'Edmond de Belamy,' a portrait made by an algorithm, for a jaw-dropping $432,500. Created by the French group Obvious, this AI art was cooked up using 15,000 artworks as ingredients. This sale stirred a hot debate: Can a machine make art? Should we value it like a Picasso or a Husain? Since then, auction giants like Sotheby’s and Phillips joined the party, showing off AI-linked artworks. Sotheby’s even launched a Metaverse platform proving digital art is no longer just a shiny toy — it's big business now. But wait, not everyone is clapping! Collectors are split like a mango in summer. The art world feels “both excited and terrified,” as some see AI art as a wild new adventure, while others worry it might just be a passing fad, like those NFTs that fizzle out. Numbers tell a spicy story too. The AI art market hit around $674 million in 2022 and is expected to double to $1.4 billion by 2027. Around 35% of fine art auctions now include AI creations. Meet Botto, an AI artist who’s earned over $5 million in auctions since 2021! Mario Klingemann, one of Botto’s human creators, boldly said, “The recent advancements in artificial intelligence, deep learning and data analysis make me confident that in the near future machine artists will be able to create more interesting work than humans.” That’s a sassy prediction! Obvious views their Christie’s sale as less about shock and more about changing the art rules. “It was not designed to shock for its own sake, but to move the discourse forward. In 2018, it was indeed a provocation to the art world: who is the artist when you are using AI?” they told ET. Now, what’s cooking in India? Here, art lovers treasure stories and masters’ skills, so AI art has a cautious fan base. Delhi’s Shalini Passi says she showcased an AI piece in 2023 and believes if AI art shows "originality and depth" and represents our times like Husain or Picasso did, then it deserves respect. On the flip side, gallery director Akshitta Aggarwal says AI art doesn’t fit in her space because it skips the “deeply human process” of creation. “Patrons buy into the artist’s story as much as the object,” she says. Between these views, Vaishnavi Murali of Eikowa Art Gallery takes a balanced stand. To her, AI is just another tool, like a brush or camera. "If an artist uses AI to push their vision, the creativity is still theirs," she says. She compares this moment to when photography was laughed at and the short-lived NFT craze. CribLife’s CEO Vijaya Eastwood adds that people are curious but want proven value before betting big on AI art. “Nobody I work with says it isn’t art, but they want to see proven value cycles and credible names,” she shares. The big question: who owns the brushstroke? For Aggarwal, art’s soul is tied to human struggle and authorship. Murali counters AI extends imagination, not replaces it. Obvious sums it up: “The authorship mainly lies in the intent of the creator: using a tool to produce a visual result. AI is a powerful instrument, not an autonomous artist.” They note that when artists design their own AI models, authorship stays strong. Artists like Refik Anadol and Mario Klingemann embrace AI like a new set of brushes or colors. But if AI copies a Picasso brushstroke perfectly, does art lose its soul? Obvious says context matters: if the goal is to pretend it’s a real Picasso, it’s fake. But as homage, it has value. In the grand scheme, Obvious sees AI as a game-changer. “AI is a major change in the course of human history… it seems logical that it will have an important impact on art and art history as well.” Maybe AI won’t replace artists but create new art worlds alongside tradition. But beware! In fast times, the deep pain and magic of becoming an artist might get overshadowed by instant, machine-made wonders. The art saga continues, and the spice is just getting hotter!

Read More at Economictimes →

Tags: Ai art, Christie’s auction, Edmond de belamy, Art market, Artificial intelligence, Indian art scene,