Artificial intelligence opens up new avenues in the art market

Artificial intelligence (AI) is proving to have a significant impact in many industries and sectors, and in this the art market is no exception. The use of AI in the art context is opening up new avenues and opportunities for artists and buyers alike.

One of the main ways in which AI is entering the art market is through automated art creation. Image generation algorithms and neural networks can be trained to create original works of art, ranging from painting to sculpture, music and poetry. These generative works can be sold as digital artworks or printed on physical media. This opens the door to new 'algorithmic' artists and raises questions about the concept of authorship and originality. AI can also analyse large amounts of visual data and detect patterns and trends that can inspire artists in the creation of their works. Furthermore, neural networks can learn the distinctive features of a specific artistic style and generate new works that imitate that particular style. For example, AI can be trained on works by famous artists such as Van Gogh or Picasso and then create original paintings that appear to have been created by these masters. This ability to generate artistic works 'in style' raises important questions about the concept of originality and authenticity in art. AI does not just replace artists, but can also work in synergy with them. Some artists use AI as a tool to interact with, creating collaborative artworks. For example, an artist can provide visual or conceptual input to a machine learning algorithm and then process and transform the AI-generated outputs into final artworks. This type of hybrid collaboration between humans and machines opens up new avenues of exploration and encourages reflection on the role of the artist in the digital age.

AI can also transform the experience of viewing works of art. Thanks to virtual and augmented reality, viewers can immerse themselves in interactive virtual artworks and explore digital environments created by algorithms. This offers a new dimension to the art experience, allowing the audience to interact directly with the artwork and personalise it according to their preferences. Furthermore, AI can be used to provide additional information and context to artworks, enriching viewers' understanding and interpretation.

Instead, coming to the focus of this article, and deliberately leaving out the ethical aspects of the issue, we can state that artificial intelligence can also influence the system of valuing and selling works of art. Data analysis algorithms can be used to extract information on market trends, the value of works and the identification of potential art investments. In addition, AI can facilitate the management of art collections, helping curators to organise and catalogue works as well as to make suggestions and connections between similar artists and styles.

In spite of this, there are currently obvious gaps on ChatGPT on the subject, so much so that when we tested it on the price trend of Picasso's works, we got this response:

"As a language model, I do not have access to real-time data or the latest information on the market trend of Picasso's artworks. The art market is a complex and ever-changing environment, influenced by a number of factors [...] However, in order to have an accurate view of the current market trends of Picasso's artworks and their valuations, it is necessary to refer to specialised reports, consult industry experts and monitor updates in the contemporary art market."

We can therefore conclude by noting how the AI does not feel safe in this particular area and therefore uses its intelligence to suggest that a professional should be consulted.

Photo: Ars Electronica / Birgit Cakir