7 AI art examples.
AI has revolutionised the art industry, helping artists create impactful masterpieces in a more efficient and convenient way. Take a look at some of the most influential AI art examples to stir up your own personal creativity.
1. AARON
Recognised as one of the earliest AI art examples, late artist and programmer Harold Cohen developed AARON from the late 1960s up until his death in 2016.
Seeking to show how technology can perform “human art-making behaviour”, Cohen initially instructed his computer to produce drawings and squiggles. But as he developed his technology, the computer learned how to render images of spindly people and plants – as shown in the later artworks.
2. Portrait of Edmond de Belamy
This renowned piece of art was created by the Parisian art collective, Obvious, in 2018 – using AI generation. It was part of a wider AI art collection dedicated to the fictional Belamy family, depicting a stout male figure in a dark frockcoat with a plain white collar.
It quickly became the first AI-generated portrait to be sold at auction at Christie’s in New York – selling for $432,500 (around £337,000).
3. Mosaic Virus
This artwork, created by Anna Ridler in 2018, explores the intricate patterns and complexities characteristic of nature. With this AI art example, Riddler encourages people to think about the delicate relationship between biology and technology and raises questions about the connection between nature and human influence.
4. Living Archive
Already known for his work inspired by art and technology, Refik Anadol revealed a new piece of art in 2024 entitled Living Archive.
The art was created using an AI model he created while at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The open-source AI Large Nature Model uses National Geographic data and information from the Smithsonian Institute to create spectacular nature scenes.
5. Mutations
Well-known artist and researcher Sougwen Chung uses art to explore the boundaries of collaboration between human and machine.
Investigating the interactions between mark-made-by-hand and mark-made-by-machine, her work seeks to understand the dynamics of human beings and systems. To create this type of AI art, machines copy the artist’s hand-drawn pieces – drawing in unison.
6. Théâtre D'opéra Spatial
Jason M. Allen used generative AI technology and human vision to create this award-winning piece of art.
It was the first AI art example to win a fine art competition at the Colorado State Fair in 2022. This inspired global attention, raising questions around challenging traditional perceptions of art and its creation, as well astonishing audiences with its futuristic yet classic design.
7. Neural Zoo
This AI art example created by Sofia Crespo explores the concept of creativity, focusing on recombing known elements into novel ones. The images featured seem to resemble nature, but with an unusual twist as different elements are rearranged and reimagined. The artwork allows the visual cortex to recognise the natural textures, but at the same time, the brain is still aware that the elements aren’t realistic.