Will Technology fool or fame Art?
Yes, starting on an April fool’s day, we look at exploring if technology will fool or fame the Art World.
The art world, as we know, is a dynamic landscape, constantly shifting and evolving. With the global art market projected to reach a staggering $67 billion by end of 2025 (Statista, 2024), the techies with their tech could not have sat this out at the ringfence. In more ways than ever, technology interventions have proved to be a boon, and sometimes a bane, to this world of the right brain. But has the left brain left anything right in the right brain?
Among the most recent technological developments to shake up the digital art world is AI. Artificial intelligence tools, from large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT to image generators like DALL-E, have the power to synthesize enormous amounts of data, automate some rote tasks, and even draw upon existing information in the public domain to create new expressions of digital “art” and text.
As a result, AI-generated art continues to spark debate. Christie’s, in February 2025, organized an AI art auction. That led to an exponentially expanding controversy among artists. They argued if AI models are now going to scrape original artwork without proper attribution. The situation is complex—AI is not inherently in opposition to traditional art, yet its growing influence do raise ethical concerns. But, instead of accosting AI, artists should educate themselves on its capabilities and limitations. Original art, with its emotional depth, personal vision, and physical presence, remains entirely distinct from AI-generated works. By being adaptable instead of resistant, artists can leverage AI as a tool to streamline administrative tasks, enhance research, and support their business—ultimately allowing more time for creative practice.
Some artists such as Sougwen Chung and Anna Ridler have incorporated AI into their artistic practice, and for those in the commercial art world, mainstream AI-powered productivity tools are already being harnessed.
The most looming concern in the Art Industry that desperately cries out for the cradle of technology is cyber threat and attack prevention. The recent cyberattack targetting Christie’s, which took its website down and may have impacted other systems, has sent jitters through the auction world. Christie’s did successfully hold its scheduled Marquee Week sales in the U.S. and abroad—the 20th Century Evening Sale brought in $413.3 million— but the security breach, which the auction house continues to refer to as simply a “technical incident,” has not been fully resolved.
The practical risks auction houses face involve the potential compromise of sensitive client information. Those seeking to buy or sell at auction have long been required to provide sensitive information beyond name and address—job titles, banking information, credit card numbers, social security numbers, passport numbers and scans of identifying documents—as a way of verifying their identities and to comply with anti-money laundering statutes. All that information can be a source of temptation for enterprising hackers looking for wealthy targets. A more ambiguous but equally fraught concern is the threat to a firm’s reputation a successful attack can pose. The major auction houses have built up good standing in the art and collectibles fields over a century or more, but just one significant data breach or system incursion could prompt clients to look elsewhere to buy and sell.
NFTs, another area, have been around since early 2019. In some way or the other, these celebrated tokens have significantly impacted the art world. The tokens have opened an additional revenue stream for artists with a power to create, sell, and trade digital files as unique assets, establishing new forms of ownership and investment. Despite fluctuations in the NFT market, blockchain-based art is here to remain as a viable avenue for digital artists seeking alternative revenue streams (Artnet, 2024).
Lastly, ESG concerns have permeated every industry, and the art market is no exception. The industry has come under scrutiny for its environmental impact, with an estimated global carbon footprint of around 70 million tonnes of CO2 per annum. Reducing these emissions is a significant challenge to navigate, and this is where technological innovations would be a saviour. In various instances, the industry has leveraged digitalisation through Augmented and Virtual Reality to broaden access, allowing more people to engage with the art market remotely, such as through virtual auctions and museum tours.
As the art world embraces these advances, we may soon see entirely new forms of art, more immersive public spaces, and digital art collections that are as valued as physical ones. The fusion of art and technology signals a future where creativity is as boundless as the tools we create, guided by the vision of artists into uncharted territory. Whether we’re exploring virtual galleries from our homes, owning a piece of digital history through NFTs, or collaborating with AI to bring our visions to life, the future of art promises to be dynamic, inclusive, and truly transformative.
In the coming weeks, we would strive to explore each of these areas in detail. Stay Tuned!
Next Week: Immersive experiences augment the art shows
Dipayan has been a digital transformation consultant and advisor for over two decades with large multinational firms, with a keen interest in data and AI and a patent in cognitive AI and blockchain. He has worked with clients across Asia Pacific, EMEA and Americas. He is also a practising internationally acclaimed abstract artist for over a decade. His works are shown across various galleries and museums in New York, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dubai and India, awarded in Florence and Venice, and have been included in numerous private art collections in New York, London, Kolkata and Mumbai. He lives and works out of Mumbai in India.