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Christie’s Faces Backlash for AI Art Auction Amid Copyright Controversy
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
Nearly 4,000 people have signed an open letter urging Christie’s New York to cancel its upcoming Augmented Intelligence sale, which is set to feature art created with AI. This marks the first time a major auction house will dedicate an entire sale to AI-generated art .
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Concerns focus on AI models using copyrighted work without artists’ permission or payment.
- Christie’s defends the auction, stating artists’ work is enhanced by AI technology.
- Ed Newton-Rex criticizes Christie’s for condoning AI models that exploit human artists.
The letter , which began circulating the day after the sale’s announcement, highlights concerns that the AI programs used to create some of the pieces were trained on copyrighted works without permission, potentially exploiting human artists, as first reported by CNN.
The auction, which is expected to generate over $600,000, includes work by well-known artists such as Refik Anadol, Harold Cohen, Holly Herndon, Mat Dryhurst, Alexander Reben, and Claire Silver.
The sale, which features over 20 lots, spans five decades and includes a variety of works, including digitally native pieces like non-fungible tokens (NFTs), as well as light boxes, screens, sculptures, paintings, and prints. Bidding is set to begin on February 20 and end on March 5.
The letter’s authors argue that AI models used in the creation of some of the works were trained on copyrighted material without the consent of the original creators. “These models, and the companies behind them, exploit human artists, using their work without permission or payment to build commercial AI products that compete with them,” the letter states.
“Your support of these models, and the people who use them, rewards and further incentivizes AI companies’ mass theft of human artists’ work.”
CNN argues that the controversy stems from the use of copyrighted works to train generative AI models like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and Dall-E, which has led to lawsuits against technology companies.
While artists argue that their work is used without compensation, the companies defend their practices by citing fair use, which allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission.
Ed Newton-Rex, CEO of the non-profit Fairly Trained, which certifies generative AI companies for fairer data sourcing, criticized Christie’s for condoning the models.
I’ve looked at the public statements of the artists involved in the Christie’s AI art auction, and I think it’s likely that at least 9 or so of the works being sold use models trained on copyrighted work without permission. I don’t blame the artists for this – they’re just using… https://t.co/1AKqBa5aS6 — Ed Newton-Rex (@ednewtonrex) February 10, 2025
Christie’s digital art specialists, Nicole Sales Giles and Sebastian Sanchez, are overseeing the auction.
In a statement to The Art Newspaper , the auction house defended the sale, stating, “The artists represented in this sale all have strong, existing multidisciplinary art practices, some recognised in leading museum collections. The works in this auction are using artificial intelligence to enhance their bodies of work.”
While some, like artist Sarp Kerem Yavuz, argue that AI-generated art is not theft.
“Most AI-generated images result from the combination of millions — literally millions — of images, which means no single artist can claim that an image of a meadow, a heroic knight, a cat or a flower was based on their specific creation,” he wrote in a statement, as reported by CNN.
“AI-generated images mimic human inspiration in many ways — they’re just more efficient at parsing through information,” he added.
Last month, the US Copyright Office ruled that artists can copyright works created with AI tools , but “purely AI-generated material” remains ineligible for protection.
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Trump’s Crypto Company World Liberty Financial Launches Strategic Token Reserve
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
The crypto platform World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance (DeFi) business backed by Trump and his sons, announced a new strategic token reserve to support major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- The Trump-backed DeFi platform World Liberty Financial announced a new strategic token reserve.
- The reserve is aimed at supporting cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, the crypto ecosystem, and mitigating volatility.
- World Liberty Financial is also working on alliances with traditional financial institutions and inviting people to join its community.
In a post shared on the social media platform X, the company revealed its Macro Strategy and its main purposes, including support for the crypto ecosystem, building trust, and mitigating volatility.
“We are thrilled to announce a transformative initiative that marks a significant milestone in our journey together,” wrote World Liberty Financial. “World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is proud to unveil the Macro Strategy, our strategic token reserve designed to bolster leading projects like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies that are at the forefront of reshaping global finance.”
Last year, during his presidential campaign, Trump showed support for the crypto market and announced World Liberty Financial as a decentralized movement in September.
Bitcoin also surpassed the $100,000 benchmark for the first time in December, after Trump announced Paul Atkins as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
World Liberty Financial also announced that it is in discussions with traditional financial institutions to contribute tokenized assets to the project, build innovative solutions, and collaborate on marketing campaigns.
The crypto business also encouraged people to actively participate, review their upcoming proposals, and join the community. “Your support and active participation are crucial as we embark on this transformative journey,” wrote World Liberty Financial.
