Dr. Carina Popovici, an expert in authenticating artwork, utilizes artificial intelligence to identify fraudulent paintings being sold online, such as on sites like eBay. By analyzing images posted by retailers, her AI technology has detected a high probability of many paintings being not authentic. She has already uncovered 40 counterfeit pieces, including a fake Claude Monet and Claude Renoir. The algorithm has identified all of these as fakes with a negative probability of 95% or more. Popovici believes this is just the beginning and that there are likely many more counterfeit artworks being sold online.
Despite eBay’s policy against counterfeit items, Popovici was able to find some fake paintings being sold on the platform. The sellers of these fake artworks denied the allegations, but in one case, the item was removed after being contacted by the media. Popovici expressed frustration with eBay’s lack of response to her concerns about dishonest online sales. She believes that the company has a responsibility to take action against the sale of counterfeit items and is disturbed by their indifference to the issue. Popovici has been trying to communicate with eBay about the problem, but has not received a response.
eBay, on the other hand, stated that the sale of counterfeit items is strictly prohibited on their platform and they are committed to ensuring the authenticity of goods sold. They use multiple layers of AI technology, trained investigators, and buyer protection programs to detect and remove counterfeit items. In 2023, eBay proactively blocked 99.2% of item violations and removed 2.7 million items that violated their policies. Only one of the flagged items from Popovici’s investigation was reported to eBay directly, and it was promptly removed. The company emphasized that they take the issue of counterfeit items seriously and are dedicated to maintaining the authenticity of products sold on their platform.
Popovici’s work with Art Recognition has allowed her to examine over 500 pieces of art worldwide for authenticity using just a photograph. Her AI system has confirmed some questioned works of art, including a self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh. In the past, spotting counterfeit art was challenging but with new technology, it has become easier to identify fake pieces through images found online. Popovici believes that people need to be warned about the prevalence of counterfeit art being sold online and encourages caution when purchasing artwork from retailers, especially online platforms.
Overall, Dr. Carina Popovici’s use of AI technology to identify counterfeit artworks being sold online has revealed a significant issue in the art market. Despite eBay’s policies against counterfeit items, fraudulent paintings continue to be sold on the platform. Popovici urges eBay to take the problem more seriously and to respond to her concerns about dishonest online sales. Meanwhile, eBay maintains that they are dedicated to preventing the sale of counterfeit items and have implemented various measures to detect and remove fraudulent listings. Popovici’s work with Art Recognition has helped authenticate numerous pieces of art worldwide and has successfully uncovered counterfeit works through AI technology.
