Finding the art in artificial intelligence: For $432,500, you can buy a painting created by A.I.

For the first time ever, art created by artificial intelligence sold for US$432,500 at a New York auction.

Christie’s, the auction house that has sold paintings by Picasso and Monet at record prices, offered the portrait for sale from Oct. 23 to 25. The work was initially estimated to fetch between US$7,000 to US$10,000, according to the auction house.

Paris-based collective Obvious, founded by Hugo Caselles-Dupré, Pierre Fautrel and Gauthier Vernier, created the portrait.

Vernier said the portrait aimed to meld traditional art and artificial intelligence.

“Portrait of Edmond de Belamy” was among several portraits produced by AI, all of them arranged in a fictitious Belamy family tree, including Baron de Belamy in a military sash and a countess in pink silks.