Can Blockchain Safeguard Authenticity in the Age of Deepfake Imagery?

With the rise of deepfake imagery developed by AI prompts, ensuring the authenticity and provenance of artworks is more important than ever before. The White House, for example, wants to 'cryptographically verify' videos of Joe Biden so viewers don't mistake them for deep fakes.

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Integral features of blockchain technology safeguard the integrity and authenticity of art transactions, let's explore how.

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Immutable Record

Blockchain establishes a timestamped, immutable record for each artwork, ensuring its provenance and authenticity remain intact over time. This tamper-proof ledger provides a reliable reference point for both machines and humans.

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Permanently Link to Provenance

By having a clear trail of past activity, the records on the blockchain demonstrate where they come from. Deepfake imagery can be identified and categorised compared to imagery produced by verified producers.

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Innovative Business Models

Blockchain enables verified records that link directly to payment rails, fostering new business models that compensate content creators directly for their original work.

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The Arcual Digital Dossier

At Arcual, we have utilised blockchain to create our Digital Dossier of verified documentation transferred with every transaction, adding an additional layer of trust to art purchases for artists, galleries, and collectors.

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Blockchain is creating trusted digital entry points to the art market, democratising access for new players regardless of their background or location. This is fostering much needed inclusivity and diversity within the art community. But with new players coming in, there's always a doubt about authenticity and trust. As the art market continues to evolve, blockchain's role in safeguarding that trust through additional verification and authenticity, will become increasingly important.

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