
AI Art from an Art Collector's Perspective
Jan 1
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Let's say the Mona Lisa painting was created today by AI. Would it hold the same market value it does now? Could AI create a painting with a similar mysterious effect of her expression to that of Leonardo de Vinci? Experts in the art industry predict that by 2030, the AI art market will be valued at $900 million. As an art collector who has witnessed changes in this world, I needed to evaluate the enthusiasm surrounding it. To gain insights, I asked an AI tool to create a modern version of the Mona Lisa. Here are my thoughts:

What exactly is AI art?
AI art is generated by only technological artificial tools that use algorithms and machine learning techniques to create artwork. AI has rapidly developed in all environments over the past few years, inevitably impacting the art world. While painters and artists traditionally had their artistic signature style, AI is not limited to a specific art technique or style; it can follow oil paintings, frescos, and portraits. Artists who use AI teach it new art styles and artistic works. Then, the machine applies these learnings to create new, original art pieces and to decide which images work best for the professional eye.
Is there a new era for art collectors?
To understand its market value, we should first examine the supply and demand of these pieces. While this field is considered new in academic terms, it already has some economic achievements. One of the first generated artworks that sold was the 2018 piece named Edmond de Belamy. It was created by the Paris-based arts collective Obvious. They used the Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) algorithm and sold the painting for US$432,5000. Another example that created a buzz is the eminent World War Two artwork by robot Ai-Da. The painting was sold for over a million dollars at an auction.
The selling of AI artworks made waves in the art collector’s world, with criticism of whether this was considered “real” art and some copyright disputes. However, it showed a new, unpredictable, and innovative trend.
My point of view
I value art for its passion, cultural significance, and storytelling ability. The price tag of a piece is less interesting to me than the artist's process of bringing it to life. My decision to become an art collector comes from my desire to find something unique and handcrafted. Growing up in an unwealthy family, I learned to appreciate hard work, creativity, and the qualities contributing to success. In a world dominated by AI-generated creations, exclusivity and creativity seem to be a bit left out. However, I believe that if a piece of art evokes even the slightest emotion, I'm interested in it.