Analysing provenance gaps with CHATGPT4O

Can LLM Chatbots automate the analysis of provenance texts in order to detect potentially problematic provenances for the Nazi-era?

In this post we ask ChatGPT4O to "help us to look for gaps in the provenance (Provenance)?"

Using ChatGPT to detect language indicating uncertainty in provenance texts

In this conversation with the AI ChatBot, I asked it to look at the provenance text for Picasso's Woman with Pears, at the MoMa.

The provenance text on MoMa's website is:

[Galerie Kahnweiler, Paris and/or Ambroise Vollard, Paris and/or Galerie Thannhauser, Munich] 

By September 7, 1919 (1912 or 1913?) - at least October 1932, Alfred Flechtheim and/or Galerie Flechtheim, Düsseldorf, Berlin and London. 

By February 1934(?) - March 1937, The Mayor Gallery and/or Douglas Cooper, London. 

March 1937, Pierre Matisse Gallery (consignment no. 882, stock no. 594), New York, purchased from “Cooper”.  

March 31, 1937 - June 2, 1955, Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., New York, purchased from Pierre Matisse Gallery. 

June 2, 1955 - 1996, Florene May Marx (1903-1995, later Schoenborn) and Samuel A. Marx (1948–1964), Chicago, purchased from Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. through M. Knoedler & Co. (consignment no. 4786), New York. 

1996, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, acquired as bequest from Florene May Schoenborn.

I asked ChatGPT to break the provenance text into sentences and to identify any indications of uncertainty or speculation in each. Then I requested that it present the results in a table.

(I requested that it view "and/or" as uncertain.)

Sentence	Indications of Uncertainty or Speculation
[Galerie Kahnweiler, Paris and/or Ambroise Vollard, Paris and/or Galerie Thannhauser, Munich]	Indication of uncertainty in the gallery names
By September 7, 1919 (1912 or 1913?) - at least October 1932, Alfred Flechtheim and/or Galerie Flechtheim, Düsseldorf, Berlin, and London.	Uncertainty about the specific year (1912 or 1913) and presence of "and/or"
By February 1934(?) - March 1937, The Mayor Gallery and/or Douglas Cooper, London.	Uncertainty about the specific date (February 1934) and presence of "and/or"
March 1937, Pierre Matisse Gallery (consignment no. 882, stock no. 594), New York, purchased from "Cooper."	None
1996, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, acquired as bequest from Florene May Schoenborn.	None

Then I asked ChatGPT: 

what is the first year for which there is solid information

ChatGPT replied:

The first year for which there is solid information in the given text is 1937.

Looted art: I asked ChatGPT for assistance writing code in R to classify 20,000 artworks

I asked ChatGPT for help writing a program in R to classify whether an artwork is ok, a forgery, or Nazi loot. What do you think of the result?

How are citation networks used to uncover disinformation?

Citation networks can be used to uncover disinformation by revealing patterns of information flow within a particular domain or community. 

By analyzing the connections between different sources and the way that they reference and cite each other, it is possible to identify clusters of closely related information and to trace the origins and evolution of particular ideas or narratives. 

This can be helpful in detecting and debunking disinformation, as it can reveal the sources of false or misleading information and help to identify the ways in which it is being disseminated and propagated. 

Additionally, by analyzing the overall structure and dynamics of a citation network, it is possible to identify key influencers and gatekeepers who may be playing a role in the spread of disinformation.

- ChatGPT January 9, 2022

in answer to the question: 

How are citation networks used to uncover disinformation?