Artificial intelligence has So far Recruited as Bobby In the cultural world: software will Go to work Writers and translators, as well as AI-generated images, have brought deaths to illustrators and graphic designers.
However, there is a high cultural corner AI Instead of replacing the traditional protagonist (art expert and protector), are adding powerful and compelling weapons to the contributions with fake and false. Artificial intelligence is already Extremely good Identify and authenticate the artist’s work based on analysis of digital images that are painted solely.
Objective analysis of AI brings wrench into this traditional hierarchy. If the algorithm can determine the authorship of the artwork with statistical probability, where would this make the reputation of the old guard art historian build on his subjective expertise? In fact, AI will never replace connoisseurs, just like the use of X-ray and carbon dating decades ago was not. It is just the latest in high-tech tools to assist with identity verification.
Human art historians must “feed” good AI a well-planned dataset to build an understanding of the artist’s style, while human art historians must interpret the results. In November 2024, it was a leading AI company at the time. Art recognitionpublished an analysis of Rembrandt Polish rider– This is a painting that is confusing by famous scholars and has caused a lot of debate about how much, if any, Rembrandt himself actually painted. AI and most connoisseurs have proposed about which parts of painting are made up of his students, which are made up of his students, and which involve the hands of overzealous restorators. This is especially convincing when scientific methods confirm expert opinions.
We humans discover hard scientific data More attractive than personal opinionseven if this view comes from someone who seems to be an expert. The so-called “CSI effect“Describing how jurors view DNA evidence as even eyewitness testimony is more convincing. However, when expert opinions (witnesses), source, and scientific tests (CSI) all agree to the same conclusion, this is as close as a clear answer.
But what happens when the owner of the work at first glance looks completely impossible, recruiting a sleek company that collects forensic evidence to support desirable attribution?
Get lost and discover
Back in 2016, an oil painting surfaced at a flea market in Minnesota and was purchased for less than $50. Now its owner suggests Maybe a lost Van Goghtherefore worth millions. (One estimated tip is $15 million.) Answer – The answer is a loud “nah” at least for anyone with competent eyes and a familiarity with art history. The painting is stiff, clumsy, and totally lacks the fanatical bra and rhythmic brush that defines the work of Dutch artists. Worse, it comes with a signature: eLimar. However, this suspicious painting has become the center of a battle of high-risk authenticity, with scientific analysis, market forces and wishful thinking colliding.
The owner of “Elimar Van Gogh” has been ridiculed in the art world and has now become Arts Consulting Group is called LMI International. They are A large amount of investment Let the experts say what they want to hear: In fact, this is the real Van Gogh. This is where things get blurred. The world of artistic identity verification is not an easy thing. Unlike hard science, art history is characterized by probabilities, appreciation and competitive expert opinions. Crucially, this is also an industry driven by economic incentives. If the painting is considered real, its value jumps. If it is considered fake, or in this case a spin-off from a man named Elemar, who paints some smear on the canvas, perhaps inspired by Van Gogh, but without his talent, it is actually worthless, which is actually worthwhile, just like you expect to find a low price of $50 in a small market in Minnesota. This imbalance in the bet leads to a dangerous trend: hiring an expert does not determine authenticity, but confirms it.
