The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On The Art World

In 2020, a global pandemic forced much of the world to shut down, causing many businesses to move online—some for the very first time. It was during this lockdown that the art market began to quickly transition away from established norms toward innovations like remote sales, augmented reality simulators and online viewing rooms.
The period also heralded the beginning of a new era of artificial intelligence (AI), which has increasingly revealed its potential in the art market. It cannot be denied that AI is a remarkable technology. Yet, many also wonder whether this technology will turn out to be a net benefit with some in the industry perceiving it as a threat to established norms.
While I recognize that we need to address the challenges and risks of AI, I am also aware of its potential and current utility in the art world.


THE BENEFITS OF AI IN THE ART WORLD
1.) Faster Processes
One of the ways that AI is becoming ingrained within the business of art is as a useful research tool. For galleries, it can be a time-saving phenomenon. Dirk Boll, Deputy Chairman of 20th and 21st Century Art at Christie’s London, notes that when he started, research "was done manually and took several days," but using AI can cut processes like cataloging down to seconds.

2.) Tracking And Prediction
AI is also allowing art experts to interpret market developments, track the activities of relevant public figures and understand and analyze collecting behaviors and patterns. As Boll alludes to, AI can interpret vast amounts of data at record speeds, which makes the analysis of market developments faster and easier than ever before.
Experts are also finding that predicting future trends within the art market is a much easier process thanks to the deeper analysis of patterns allowed by AI. Specifically, tracking the activities of public figures related to the art market can be beneficial since they have such an elevated capacity to influence public interest and overall trends.

3.) Identifying Art And Assessing Value
Another benefit of AI in the art world is its ability to help automate market processes. Art collectors and investors are now able to assess the value of different artworks more accurately by using AI. And because AI has, at least in theory, access to data from countless historical records, auction catalogs and other documents, it can also assist in the authentication of artworks by analyzing stylistic elements, pigment types and brushstrokes.These elements are often extremely difficult to assess manually. In January 2023, Art Recognition, a Swiss AI company, identified with 96% probability that an unknown painting was by the famous Italian master painter, Raphael. The price difference after AI had determined the provenance of the painting was hundreds of millions of dollars.
THE DOWNSIDES OF AI IN THE ART WORLD
I have written before about some of the challenges that the art market already faces when it comes to inclusivity. AI risks compounding these inclusivity challenges since not all places have the same level of access to AI. A lack of equal access to AI will undoubtedly create uneven rates of growth for the art market in different areas of the world and has the potential to increase disparity within the market.
To reveal the secrets behind the making of an artwork and analyze the materials used to create a painting, AI needs to leverage specialist imaging techniques called macro x-ray fluorescence and hyper-spectral imaging. The data science behind AI is also highly advanced. Such techniques and science are very far from being widely accessible.
Furthermore, while on paper, AI can automate various art market processes, in the real world, an absence of public data about art sales, many of which occur in the private market, makes it particularly difficult for AI to make accurate predictions. This lack of transparency means that a substantial portion of relevant data regarding the art market is inaccessible to AI, which relies on large datasets to train its algorithms and to make accurate predictions.Without a more comprehensive set of big data, AI algorithms are more likely to generate an inaccurate or incomplete data model. Insufficient data leads to a model that is not capable of predicting outcomes with the level of accuracy that’s needed in the real world.
Anyone with experience in the art market also knows that markets can fluctuate without any indication as to why. AI will not have the answer. Tech entrepreneur Boris Pevzner, founder of AI-powered data platform Live Art, asserts that while AI is a tool that can be used as an indicator, it is not something that can predict any real-world auction prices.


THE FUTURE OF THE AI IN THE ART WORLD
Although AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in the art business, it does not have to be seen as a threat. Many people view AI as a dangerous tool, but AI does not need to be perceived in this way. Instead of a replacement for human expertise, we should see it as a tool of advancement to be used alongside humans to improve the quality of their work.
The art industry should look towards AI with curiosity; not concern.