The Facts
On October 22, 2026, Thaddaeus Ropac published an essay by David Salle in which the artist argues that AI will not replace good artists. Salle calls apocalyptic scenarios far-fetched, describing the machine as a prediction device that bets on the probable, while good art is 'precisely that which cannot rationally be predicted.' He recounts that in 2022 he began working with technologist Grant Davis to design a custom AI model with restricted data input, retraining it on composition, brushstroke and light to create a deconstructed pictorial space.
The Signal
The essay is a pointed contribution to an increasingly noisy debate over AI in the art world. By describing a hands-on experiment in which he restricted the model's training to principles drawn from his own practice, Salle grounds his argument in a working artist's method rather than abstract theory. For collectors, the piece reinforces the value of idiosyncratic, craft-based vision at a moment when such distinctions are central to questions of artistic value; for the gallery, publishing the statement signals its program's commitment to individual authorship.
- Artists: David Salle
- People: David Salle, Grant Davis
- Galleries: Thaddaeus Ropac
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