axios | Steve LeVine
When the expert eye seems uncertain, infrared and x-ray imaging, carbon dating and chemical analysis are the go-to arbiters of an artwork’s authenticity. But in a new paper, U.S. and Swiss researchers say artificial intelligence could be the best detective of all—sometimes from a single stroke, AI can detect a fake every time.
The stakes: An unknown percentage of the artwork currently for sale around the world is fake: Estimates range to well over half. Combine that with the sums paid for the rarest works are so high — earlier this month, Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi sold for $450 million — and it’s clear why the industry can be fraught over authenticity. “Authenticity is the third rail… read more
Image | Patrick Semansky / AP