Technology has influenced the art world for decades, from the first digital works and online databases to NFTs and, now, artificial intelligence. I recently spoke with Artsy for “Can AI Help You Buy Art?”; their reporter was looking into how AI is beginning to impact the buying process: what it can do, what it can’t, and where it fits in.
AI is genuinely useful. It processes information at extraordinary speed, scanning decades of auction data in seconds and organizing the numerous details that go into research and reporting. It’s a tool that’s here to stay and will make many aspects of collecting more efficient.
But algorithms can’t distinguish a great work from a mediocre one, and they certainly can’t open doors. Collecting is built on relationships and access—years of conversations, shared trust, and the kind of intuition that comes only from experience. The art world runs on passion as much as expertise, and true passion can never be automated.
As I told Artsy, collecting is part research, part strategy, part diplomacy. If AI could do all of that, I’d happily take it as my plus one to the next gallery dinner!
Another note about technology in art
I also spoke with The Telegraph for “What the Hell Happened to NFTs?”—a look back at the NFT boom and what it revealed about how technology and speculation intersect in the art world. As I told them, I appreciated NFTs as a new medium for artists, but the frenzy around them was never really about the art itself. The technology may still prove useful for provenance—but, as always, the real value lies in the art itself and the artists who create it.
10/23/25