AI assets flood CGTrader marketplace
CGTrader, a leading European marketplace with more than two million 3D models for architects, game designers and video producers, opened its platform to AI-generated assets about a year ago. The move was intended to broaden the catalogue and give designers a faster way to create digital assets.
Data covering sales from June 2025 to May 2026 reveal that one in six models uploaded to the site are AI-generated. Yet those models contributed just $1 of every $90 in total revenue and accounted for only 2.6% of all sales.
Consumer preference for human-made models
Only 5% of CGTrader customers who tried an AI model reported that it worked well, compared with 20% who found the assets inadequate. The report's headline observation was that "AI is entering the catalog rapidly, but buyers aren't yet opening their wallets for it."
"Buyers are looking for really high quality when they are shopping at the marketplace," Dalia Lasaite told EuroHerald. "And as a result, they tend to prefer human-created 3D models, at least at this point."
These findings echo broader public sentiment. A 2025 Stanford University study showed that when participants could choose between AI-generated and human-produced art, they initially gravitated toward AI pieces. Yet a Pew Research Center poll the following year found that 52% of American adults were more concerned than excited about expanding AI use, and half said they liked a painting less once they learned it was AI-made.
Expert views on AI in commerce
Dennis Zhang, professor of marketing and technology at Washington University in St. Louis, says the marketplace data reflect more than a fleeting mood. He notes that the rise of AI-assisted app development after the release of coding agents such as Claude Code and Codex led to a 160% increase in new apps by April 2026 compared with two years earlier.
However, the number of apps receiving more than ten reviews fell, suggesting lower engagement with AI-generated offerings. Zhang cautions that the lower appeal may stem from less experienced developers using AI tools, rather than the technology itself.
"It's not that AI products are unloved by everyone, but they are still creating utilities for the market," Zhang said.
Both Zhang and Lasaite agree that AI will become a component of creative workflows, but human input will remain a key differentiator for quality-seeking customers.
What the future may hold
As AI tools become faster and cheaper, designers are adapting. Lasaite observes that the industry's initial apprehension has softened, with many creators now using AI to accelerate routine tasks while retaining the artistic decisions that define their work.
"Over time, we all realised that AI will be some kind of part of our life, and we adapt," she said. "Maybe we can be more productive and just keep the best parts of our job to ourselves, and use the AI to help with the rest."
For European creators and buyers, the trend suggests a gradual integration of AI, but a continued premium on human-crafted quality that may shape pricing, licensing and the competitive landscape of digital asset markets.