{
  "id": 173846,
  "title": "Comment | Why AI’s attempts at art historical analysis are a load of phooey",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/comment-why-ais-attempts-at-art-historical-analysis-are-a-load-of",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-03T10:47:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Art Newspaper",
    "slug": "the-art-newspaper",
    "url": "https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/08/03/comment-|-why-ais-attempts-at-art-historical-analysis-are-a-load-of-phooey"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Some argue that artificial intelligence (AI) may soon replace art historians, but recent attempts at AI analysis of art leave much to be desired. Recent headlines claimed that AI identified a Holbein drawing as a potential portrait of Anne Boleyn. However, computer scientists from Bradford University used facial recognition to analyze drawings of the Tudor court, seeking family resemblances. While they concluded that one drawing, marked \"Anna Bollein Queen,\" was not similar enough to Anne's relatives to be her, another drawing reportedly was. Yet, even this finding relied on comparing Holbein's drawings to an oil portrait by another artist, William Scrots, a questionable basis for identification. The AI analysis showed only a 75.4% likeness, not much more than a mere coincidence. My concern was that the AI deemed two drawings of the same sitter, Henry Howard, only an 84.1% match, which is far from the expected 100% consistency. The BBC asked for my opinion, and I had to admit that I might be biased due to my previous stance on the drawing's authenticity. After studying the data and article, I concluded that the story was \"a load of phooey.\" Some of my art historian colleagues are hesitant to comment on such stories, fearing backlash, but I believe that in a world of fast and fake news, it's crucial to speak out. If AI is to be a useful tool for art historical research, it must first learn from the art historians it aims to replace. Those applying AI to art history seem to lack a fundamental understanding of our discipline. For AI to truly understand art, it must learn from the experts.",
  "summary": "Many of those applying artificial intelligence to art history do not understand the basics of our discipline",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}