The role of the traditional art connoisseur is under threat as artificial intelligence steps in to assist with art attribution. AI algorithms analyse brushstrokes, colour palettes and other stylistic elements to identify artists and authenticate artworks. However, AI is not always accurate, with errors in dating artworks sometimes exceeding a century. While AI offers a new tool for analysis, it is best used as a supplement to human expertise, considering factors beyond the purely visual, such as historical context and provenance.
AI's ability to process vast amounts of data quickly makes it valuable in identifying patterns and potential matches that human experts might miss. AI can analyse high-resolution images of artworks to recognise formal patterns invisible to the human eye. This technology relies on extensive training datasets of authenticated works and known forgeries to learn an artist's characteristics. The art world is evolving, and AI is becoming a tool that can aid experts in making more informed decisions, but not replace them.
