We’re constantly surrounded by media warnings that AI is replacing artists or stealing work via tools like Midjourney, but AI in art is far more nuanced and hopeful. A recent innovation from MIT’s Alex Kachkine demonstrates how artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool for cultural preservation—using AI-powered polymer masks to restore damaged paintings with astonishing precision and speed. In just 3.5 hours, using high-resolution scanning, color-matching algorithms, and printed transparent overlays, a single 15th-century painting was repaired across 5,612 damaged areas with over 57,000 unique pigment tones—all without altering the original surface. This approach not only accelerates the conservation process dramatically but also ensures reversibility and ethical transparency, providing digital records for future curators. With over 70% of museum collections often left unseen due to the cost and labor of traditional restoration, AI art restoration offers a way to bring hidden masterpieces back into the public eye. This is a reminder that artificial intelligence, when applied with intention and care, can preserve human creativity—not just mimic it. Before sharing viral outrage over AI in art, it’s worth asking: what if AI isn’t just changing the future of creativity—but helping us hold on to its past?
AI Art restoration
We're constantly surrounded by media warnings that AI is replacing artists or stealing work via tools like Midjourney, but AI in art is far more nuanced and hopeful.
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