Christie's to auction portrait created by AI

Mr Pierre Fautrel, a member of Obvious, with the work Edmond De Belamy, From La Famille De Belamy, that is generated by an algorithm.
Mr Pierre Fautrel, a member of Obvious, with the work Edmond De Belamy, From La Famille De Belamy, that is generated by an algorithm. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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NEW YORK • Could this be the next great draw in art? With eyes trained on a gilded frame containing a smeared, half-formed image of a distinguished gentleman, a small group of potential bidders gathered last Friday at Christie's New York and heard the pitch.

Here was the first portrait generated by an algorithm to come up for auction. The portrait, produced by artificial intelligence (AI), hung on the wall opposite an Andy Warhol print and just to the right of a bronze work by Roy Lichtenstein.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 24, 2018, with the headline Christie's to auction portrait created by AI. Subscribe