Artist reimagines value with 'free-for-the-taking' AI works

Yang said that in the age of AI, when the marginal cost of image generation drops dramatically and works can be copied infinitely, the true value of art no longer lies in its scarcity. "Art's real worth depends on how many people can see it, understand it, and share it," he says.

Chen further notes that large language models have confirmed that language systems can function independently of living beings. In Yang's creative process, AI is not merely a tool but a partner possessing its own perspective shaped by the essence of civilization.

Following its Venice debut, the exhibition will travel to Chengdu, Sichuan province, in Southwest China in August. The Chengdu stop will feature nearly 300 new AI works and continue the same "free-for-the-taking" model. From Venice to Chengdu, the dialogue on art, artificial intelligence and human-machine coexistence continues.