Abstract We initiate the study of random iteration of automorphisms of real and complex projective surfaces, as well as compact Kähler surfaces, focusing on the classification of stationary measures. We show that, in a number of cases, such stationary measures are invariant and provide criteria for uniqueness, smoothness and rigidity of invariant probability measures. This involves a variety of tools from complex and algebraic geometry, random products of matrices, non-uniform hyperbolicity, as well as recent results of Brown and Rodriguez Hertz on random iteration of surface diffeomorphisms.