AI-generated art, contemporary art market, and hype – an example of Christie’s 2025 online auction

The present study examines the relationship between the contemporary art market and AI-generated art in light of the achievements of Christie’s Augmented Intelligence online auction. The event serves as a paradigmatic example of how the legitimization of AI-generated art by a prestigious institution may contribute to the works’ market position. In this paper, we argue that the sales success of AI-generated art can be attributed to two main factors: (1) the prestige of the institutional background; (2) hype, which is an artificial distortion of value attribution. Collectors’ interest in AI-generated art becomes evident in the development of its market position, the greater familiarity with digital technologies among younger collectors, and curiosity about new technologies. The question, however, is what role AI-generated art can play in the contemporary art market beyond novelty and hype, that is, beyond market speculation.