More than 5,600 artists signed an open letter protesting the auction, saying that the works used AI models that are trained on copyrighted work.
A representative for Christie’s shared a statement about the issue. “From the beginning, two things have been true about the art world: one, artists are inspired by what came before them, and two, art can spark debate, discussion, and controversy,” the statement reads. “The discussions around digital art, including art created using AI technology, are not new and in many ways should be expected. Many artists – Pop artists, for example – have been the subject of similar discussions. Having said that, Christie’s, a global company with world-class experts, is uniquely positioned to explore the relatively new and ever-changing space of digital art: the artists, collectors, market and challenges.”
I’m actually against AI art since creative professions are already lacking in labor rights, and it’s going to get worse now that they’re trying to make artists replaceable.
But one of the worst things about it, to me, is that it’s caused artists to start going to bat for IP laws. IP law is the reason you don’t get to finish that story you spent years on, because HBO deleted it in a tax write-off. You don’t even get to talk about what it might have been like, because you’re under NDA.
Now people want it to be illegal to be influenced by copyrighted things. Great.
This anti-AI propaganda talking point is getting old.
Value each artist’s input at what it is: if there is no input, then it’s slop; if there is input, value the input.
Some works of art, long predating AI, for your consideration:
More than 5,600 artists signed an open letter protesting the auction, saying that the works used AI models that are trained on copyrighted work.
All artists are trained on copyrighted work.
Let’s abolish all copyright then, since everything is influenced upon things that came before it. Right?
Yeah, this is what I don’t get. “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” This is a quote for a reason. Everything is just a remix of something else. Just look at the shit Andy Warhol put out.
Also, you can’t copyright AI art, so I’m not sure what the point of paying money for AI art is for.
The best part of artwork is when you can see an artists personality through their art. Because Ai art is just stolen from other people who have poured their energy into their craft, it completely ruins the point.
It feels cheap. But because of this garbage, it’s also made me appreciate real art so much more.
Only a moron would pay for this, let alone $700K
Unless it is a tax scam.
Reminds me of the way that many DJ’s do little more than press play. The “brand-name” of the “artist” becomes more important than the art.
If the public’s appreciation of art is dumbed down, then it is logical for art to be dumbed down too.
In what world does it take two people to “make” a piece of malformed AI schlock?
Herndon and Dryhurst are frequent collaborators, and xhairymutantx is their work. So they didn’t just prompt an LLM to make the image, they trained the model themselves. And they specifically trained the model on pictures of Herndon (who has distinctive red, braided hair).
I’m personally a really big fan of their work (which I don’t expect everyone to be), but the picture that’s being circulated in articles and apparently sold at auction without context is pretty uninspiring.
