Melding or Singularity from 2005-2024

The Impact and Disruptive Power of Al in the Art Market

Abstract

This research paper centers around the question of how Al will impact the art market, meaning, will it dilute it with artificially made artworks, will it create its own sub-market within the broader art market, or will it just dissolve due to the current negative perception of Al? This entails an analysis of a general audience's perception and critics' perception of already existing artworks, the perception of Al outside of the context of art, the differing perceptions of Al in different cultures, what people consider creative, and many more factors that will be broken down in this study to conclude on the central question. This study is crucial because Al is in its infancy and has taken the world by storm. So, it is imperative that a projection is made as to how generative Al algorithms focusing on visual art will impact the art market because it has massive implications for ethics, creativity, and what gives art value. Right now, there is a significant bias against Al, especially in the professional art world. However, dissidents are expressing that they see immense potential in Al as not only a tool but even something that will define the next century of art. So, there is no straight answer as to what happened. No one can see the future after all, but it is definitive that Al, independently or as a tool for artists, will send ripples through the art world and art market in the coming years and even decades.