"if you have any respect for human artists, you cancel the auction."
More than 3,000 artists have signed a petition urging Christie’s to cancel its first-ever AI art auction, calling it “mass theft” of human artists’ work.
The petition accuses the New York auction house of supporting unethical AI practices that exploit human creativity.
The event, scheduled from February 20 to March 5, features AI-enhanced works by artists such as Refik Anadol, Claire Silver, and Sasha Stiles.
The pieces are expected to sell for between $10,000 and $250,000 (£8,000 to £202,000).
According to the petition: “Many of the artworks you plan to auction were created using AI models that are known to be trained on copyrighted work without a licence.
“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.
“Your support of these models, and the people who use them, rewards and further incentivises AI companies’ mass theft of human artists’ work.
“We ask that, if you have any respect for human artists, you cancel the auction.”
The controversy highlights a growing battle over the use of copyrighted material to train AI models, with several ongoing lawsuits involving companies and creatives.
British composer Ed Newton-Rex, one of the leading signatories, said:
“It looks like around nine of the works in the auction were made using AI models that companies built using other artists’ work without permission.
“I don’t blame artists for using AI products that are available on the market, but I question why Christie’s would implicitly condone these models by selling these works for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, when the exploitative technology behind them is impoverishing so many artists desperately trying to make a living.”
However, not all artists agree with the protest.
British artist Mat Dryhurst, whose work is included in the auction, rejected the petition’s claims and criticised the tone of the debate.
He said:
“It is not illegal to use any model to create artwork.”
“I resent that an important debate that should be focused on companies and state policy is being focused on artists grappling with the technology of our time.”
A spokesperson for Christie’s defended the auction:
“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.”
As AI’s role in the art world grows, the dispute highlights the ongoing tension between innovation and ethical boundaries. For now, the debate shows no signs of resolution, with both sides standing firm.
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