Introduction

The world has been enthralled by AI this year, and for good reason; AI is a species-level shift that could shape the rest of our lives. Riding on this theme, AI art is poised to be one of the defining mediums of the digital art revolution.

The past year has seen a surge in interest surrounding AI generative art, with Google search interest skyrocketing over tenfold. This newfound fascination can be attributed in part to the launch of ChatGPT, an OpenAI application that brought AI capabilities, and by extension AI art, into the mainstream consciousness.

Another sign that AI art is taking off is the swift adoption of generative AI tools like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney. Stable Diffusion, in particular, has become a darling of creators, offering the ability to transform text into stunning images virtually indistinguishable from those crafted by human hands. This remarkable functionality has captured the imagination of both enthusiasts and professional artists alike.

As technology tools continue to improve, the potential for AI generative art to create truly unique and innovative works of art is limitless. Stable Diffusion v2, released in late 2022, has already made multiple improvements to its text-to-image models, leading to higher resolution and greater image depth.

One of the biggest challenges for a collection in the crypto art space is discovering new artists, especially in a field as young as AI art. Unlike the traditional world, where the best art is available for sale at branded art galleries and auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s, art discovery in crypto is a lot more fragmented. Hence, a central platform that curates the best artists and nurtures a community around it is extremely powerful.

If you believe that AI art will become culturally important, then you need to pay attention to Braindrops.

What Is Braindrops?

Braindrops is a launchpad for AI-generated art. It works with AI artists and provides them with the tools to mint and sell their work to collectors. It also fosters a community of AI art enthusiasts and facilitates discussions and closer relationships between artists and collectors. The community is important because it allows newer artists without strong existing reputations to have an immediate audience for their work. Simplistically, Braindrops is the “Art Blocks” for AI-generated art.

Braindrops was launched in November 2021. Since then, 16 collections have been released, averaging 1 new collection every 1-2 months. Unlike Art Blocks Curated, which uses a Dutch Auction model for its mints, Braindrops has deliberately kept its mint prices afforda