Generative artificial intelligence is revolutionizing various industries, including the art world, where it's both utilized and causing surprise among artists. A prime example is Botto, a "decentralized autonomous artist" that has generated around 150 images sold for over $5 million at auctions since 2021. Created by ElevenYellow and Mario Klingemann, Botto produces images based on algorithmic prompts starting from random words and symbols. Botto generates about 70, 000 images weekly, presenting 350 to the BottoDAO, a group of 5, 000 people who vote on which image is auctioned. Votes are cast with Botto tokens, rewarding participants with points to influence Botto’s creations. Auction proceeds are split between voters and Botto's treasury.

Results from the DAO’s input guide Botto's future work. Klingemann predicts that "machine artists" could soon produce more compelling work than humans. One of his AI pieces fetched £40, 000 at Sotheby’s. The value of Botto’s art is also rising, with a pair of images selling for $276, 000 at a recent Sotheby’s auction. Questions of authorship arise with Botto’s collaborative process between machine and humans. Simon Hudson, Botto’s operator, suggests Botto challenges traditional notions of artists as lone geniuses and highlights art as a collective process. As AI-generated content proliferates, this collective approach to meaning-making will become even more essential.