What’s Stopping Galleries from Implementing AI?

As technology companies race to develop AI product offerings and capture opportunities in the commercial art market, a new survey of the global gallery landscape offers a reality check.

Art management software and technology platform Artlogic surveyed 521 commercial galleries in 57 countries and found that, while more businesses are looking to technology to relieve market pressures, successful AI integration remains limited.

In 2026, galleries reported challenging market conditions, with 49 percent stating that 2026 has been tougher than 2025, citing low collector demand, rising costs and cashflow concerns. 

As they respond to these conditions, galleries are looking to improve efficiency, and “technology is becoming an increasingly important part of that response”, Artlogic CEO Dan Jorgensen told Ocula. Since 2025 the number of galleries that reported using tech to help manage business pressure has risen from 15 percent to 24 percent, overtaking delegating or hiring (19 percent).

When asked where technology could make the biggest difference, 51 percent said absorbing time spent on admin, yet uneven AI adoption rates suggest the sector is still figuring out how to make it work for them. While 21 percent of galleries said they were piloting the use of AI, 70 percent said they were still researching, interested, or hadn’t started, and just nine percent had found applications that delivered enough value to justify scaling its use.

“There’s a lot of noise around AI right now, and galleries are right to be thoughtful about how they use it,” Jorgensen said.

The report also made clear that there remains work to do to improve trust within the industry. The top reasons for galleries’ hesitation when it comes to AI include concerns around accuracy and reliability (26 percent), data, privacy, security, and compliance (22 percent) as well as uncertainty about how to adapt the tools to actual gallery workflows.

When asked about the preferred human and AI balance in the gallery, 17 percent said they wanted no AI at all, with 35 percent of these resisters believing AI undermines the human judgement and relationships on which the business runs, and 18 percent saying they see it as unethical towards artists.

Still, a majority of galleries surveyed were open to using AI, with 51 percent saying they would be happy with human-led, AI-assisted working, indicating to tech companies such as Artlogic that there is a potential market for AI tools that support human decision-making.

The findings are “consistent with how we think about technology more broadly”, Jorgensen said. “It should support the people doing the work, not get in their way.”