AI Generated 3D Models Flood Market, But Almost No One Is Buying Them
CGTrader reports AI-generated 3D models are one in six uploads but earn only $1 of every $90 in marketplace revenue.
CGTrader's 2026 market trends report, based on data from June 2025 to May 2026, found that one in six models uploaded to its marketplace is AI-generated while AI assets capture only about 1% of revenue ($1 of every $90). Buyers ranked quality above price as their top purchase factor, and most AI asset purchasers reported dissatisfaction. CGTrader, which partners with Tencent on an AI-accelerated 3D creation workflow, says rising AI upload volume is creating discoverability challenges for human artists.
- One in six models uploaded to CGTrader is AI-generated, but AI assets earn only $1 of every $90 in revenue
- Buyers rank quality above price; only 4% of 3D-printing buyers said AI assets work well
- 20% of buyers found AI assets not good enough, and 7% used them only with heavy editing
- CGTrader partners with Tencent on an AI-accelerated workflow for topology, textures and variations
- Growing AI upload volume risks drowning out human artists in marketplace discovery
From the original article
3 min read at 404media.co
CGTrader, an online marketplace for 3D assets, found that one in six models uploaded to the site these days is AI generated, but that AI generated assets account for only $1 out of $90 in revenue on the site. These numbers show that AI generated assets are quickly flooding the marketplace, but that most people are not interested in paying for them.
By Emanuel Maiberg · 404media.co
A short excerpt; the article and its images belong to the publisher. Summary, key facts and assessment above are AI-written from the article and can be wrong.