AI's Growing Influence on Contemporary Art in 2025

By 2025, generative AI has firmly established itself as a significant influence in modern art, prompting varied reactions from artists. At Isabella Bortolozzi in Berlin, Seth Price showcases works from the pandemic era that incorporate early generative AI, now enhanced with expressive paint strokes. Charmaine Poh's 2023 video GOOD MORNING YOUNG BODY, displayed at Palais Populaire in Berlin, utilizes deepfake technology to feature her childhood television appearances. Earlier in the year, Philippe Parreno's exhibition at Munich's Haus der Kunst examined the poetic interplay between humans and generative technologies. Critical reflections on AI-generated content include Hito Steyerl's Medium Hot: Images in the Age of Heat and Dean Kissick's Spike essay 'The Vulgar Image.' This year’s Art Basel Miami Beach introduced a section dedicated to AI art, while larger galleries are increasingly acquiring emerging artists popular on Instagram. Notable exhibitions included Ed Atkins' retrospective at Tate Britain and Jesse Darling's display at Molitor in Berlin, alongside Jessica Morgan's Minimalism retrospective at the Bourse de Commerce in Paris. A roundtable discussion on 'post AI-art' featured artists Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst, emphasizing platform development over outputs, referencing Kenneth Clark's 1969 TV series Civilisation in the context of art's resilience during challenging times.