Author and reporter for Artnet news, Jo Lawson-Tancred, speaks to art market journalist Riah Pryor about her new book, ‘AI and the Art Market’
Your book aims to give an accessible overview to the emerging relationship between AI and the art sector. How easy was it to offer analysis on such a fluid and fast-moving subject?
It’s obviously a rapidly moving area for development, but the book is more of a reflection of developments to date, rather than trying to be anything too speculative. The first half, in particular, reflects on key moments in the history of AI in the market–such as the launch of the price databases which proved this pivotal moment in terms of transparency and providing confidence to buyers; the development of NFTs, which began to bridge Web3 with the art trade more holistically; alongside the emergence of digital art communities, which almost began to function externally to the traditional art market as we know it.
Do you think NFTs helped pave the way for the sale of AI in the art market?
To some degree, yes. NFTs laid the groundwork for AI art by creating a buzz around digital art and uncovering potential new collectors on Web3 that some traditional art market players like galleries and auction houses are now trying to target. For example, Christie’s dedicated their 3.0 platform for the sale of NFTs. While the market for digital art needs more time to develop, who would have thought five years ago that today Christie’s would be regularly offering AI-generated artworks? Nobody was taking digital art very seriously then.
I noticed that you quoted Appraisal Bureau’s Founder, Caroline Taylor, as saying 'It was clear to me that some technology needed to be used in this sector.' Is it fair to say that the art market has been slow to embrace advancing digital technologies?
The art market has historically been slow to adopt digital innovation, but it’s often with good reason. Tech developers can be quick to announce ‘revolutionary’ developments, sometimes before the realities of the platforms are tested against the complexities and subtleties of the sector. Early attempts to use AI to ‘prove’ authenticity (or otherwise), for example, quite quickly demonstrated the need to integrate new tools with thorough contextual understanding.
Is that the main challenge with the market’s widespread adoption of AI?
The complexity of the market is clearly a challenge. A better bridging of the gap between developers and professionals from the market is key to future success.
And the opportunities?
There is a real opportunity to open up the art world a bit more. Collectors and a broader set of buyers could feel confident engaging in a market where there was greater transparency and, for businesses, there could be a greater ability to boost efficiency. The quality and depth of data could also be revolutionary, as could the ability to create opportunities for more neutral valuations and analysis, with platforms, including Appraisal Bureau.
'AI in the Art Market' by Jo Lawson-Tancred is the first book to offer an approachable introduction to AI for art-market professionals. Published by Lund Humphries and now available.
