Artificial intelligence is rapidly making its way into the art world, sparking passionate debates about its role in helping people buy art. While AI generates both enthusiasm and skepticism across industries, it's increasingly being used by art buyers, dealers, and advisors who value its ability to quickly gather vast amounts of information. However, experts warn that the technology has significant limitations, particularly its lack of human insight and occasional inaccuracies.
The most compelling advantage of AI in art buying is its ability to rapidly search through enormous amounts of data. Tasks that might take art professionals several days to complete can now be resolved in seconds using AI tools. Art buyers are already leveraging this technology to research art historical information, analyze auction results, track upcoming exhibitions, and identify noteworthy accolades like awards and press coverage. This speed and comprehensiveness make AI particularly valuable for initial research phases.
However, the overwhelming volume of data can create new problems, and AI frequently provides misleading information. Karen Boyer, founder of advisory firm Elements in Play, shared a telling example: "A client bought a painting for $200,000 that had been exhibited in the Venice Biennale, arguably the most important exhibition in the world. He later asked AI about pricing, and it came back with a range of $7,000 to $88,000. On the surface, that looked like a huge discrepancy, but those results were for small works on paper or uncharacteristic minor paintings, nothing comparable in quality or importance to the Biennale piece."
This example highlights a critical limitation: AI struggles to make nuanced distinctions about quality, importance, and context. The technology only accesses publicly available data, such as auction results, and while it can search deeper corners of the web than humans typically can, it cannot gather unpublished information. For collectors researching pricing, AI works best for determining general ranges rather than specific valuations. It's particularly useful for eliminating artists whose market prices clearly don't match a buyer's budget.
Accuracy remains a persistent concern with AI-generated information. Mindy Taylor Ross, owner of consulting agency Art Strategies LLC, explained: "AI aggregates information from the broad internet, and as we know in this information age, there is also a lot of misinformation. When asked to write a biography for Robert Rauschenberg, my mentor, AI wrote that he had served in the Marines. He served in the Navy. This is a small example, but it is about a very famous artist." While fact-checking and editing require additional time and research, many users find this process less daunting than starting from scratch.
Some galleries are finding practical applications for AI while maintaining appropriate caution. The Melrose Gallery uses AI for various tasks, including timing press releases and improving existing practices rather than replacing human judgment. Tracey Strydom from The Melrose Gallery noted: "The main caution is not to depend on it too much. AI works best when it supports human insight. A good practice is to give very specific and personal information, so the results do not feel generic, and then always review and shape the final outcome with care."
For collectors seeking artist recommendations, AI can provide a starting point, though with notable limitations. When testing ChatGPT with the prompt "I'm interested in buying contemporary art. I really like Caravaggio. Can you recommend similar artists working today?", the results revealed both strengths and weaknesses. The AI correctly identified appealing elements like moody, figurative paintings with strong chiaroscuro lighting and emotional intensity. It suggested relevant contemporary artists like Nicola Samori and Roberto Ferri, but missed obvious choices like Jesse Mockrin. Some suggestions seemed based on superficial keyword associations rather than deeper artistic understanding.
The tool's effectiveness improves significantly with more specific prompts. Art buyers should provide detailed information including budget constraints, preferences for materials or artwork size, and particular factors that matter to them, such as an artist's background. Describing both preferences and dislikes helps tailor results more effectively. For those struggling to articulate what attracts them to certain artworks, AI can help analyze and define these preferences through guided questioning.
While AI can suggest artists and even provide gallery contacts and email templates for outreach, it cannot guarantee access to desired artworks. The contacts provided aren't always accurate, and having a salesperson's name doesn't ensure that coveted pieces will be available for purchase. More importantly, AI cannot assess crucial factors like provenance and condition, which are essential considerations in art transactions.
The human element remains irreplaceable in many aspects of art buying. Art advisor Deborah Gunn emphasized: "AI can help with data and putting together options, but most of the time, there's a real-world element that AI can't access. In the art world, relationships are very important, the physical condition of the work matters, and how a particular work will fit into the collector's life and home isn't something that AI can easily help with."
Relationship-building represents perhaps the most significant limitation of AI in art buying. Boyer explained: "AI can gather information, but it can't pick up the phone and convince a gallery to let you have the best work. And it certainly can't build the kind of relationships that take years of conversations, art fairs, dinners, and trust. Knowing who to trust—and earning that trust—is something only people can do. Collecting is part research, part strategy, part diplomacy."
The emotional and interpretive aspects of art collecting also require human insight. Boyer concluded: "Collecting isn't just about information. It's about interpretation, context, and vision. AI can streamline the background work, but the choices that matter most will always require the human touch—and a sense of taste, which no algorithm has managed to replicate." As AI continues evolving, its role in art buying will likely expand, but the technology appears destined to remain a supportive tool rather than a replacement for human expertise and relationships in the art world.
