The Roles of AI and VR in Art History: Insights from the Genji-Picture
KAKENHI Project in Japan
(人工智慧與虛擬實境在藝術史中的角色：來自日本「源氏繪流派」的KAKENHI 研究計畫案的洞見)

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) technologies have gained traction not only in science and engineering but also in the humanities and social sciences, including the field of art history. The Genji-picture KAKENHI project, conducted in Japan from 2017 to 2022, serves as a compelling case study of how these technologies can be applied to both academic inquiry and public exhibition.
This presentation highlights the critical role of tacit knowledge and aesthetic sensibility of art historians in the development of AI and VR applications. In the case of identifying the painter school of the "Phantom Genji Scrolls" using deep learning, expert intuition was instrumental in selecting models aligned with historical consensus and in formulating a new theory within the art historical community - namely, the reconstruction of the painter school concept.
In terms of exhibition design, the VR Genji fold screen demonstration was featured in four major exhibitions, including ICOM 2019 and The Tale of Genji: Unfolding Narrative of Art and Culture from the Past to Modernity (Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, 2024). Interestingly, the immersive experience was enhanced by deliberately concealing advanced IT features, allowing visitors to engage with the work as an interactive piece of art rather than a technological display.
These cases suggest that fruitful outcomes can be achieved when IT researchers collaborate closely with domain experts, applying AI and VR technologies not for their own sake but to address real-world challenges - a methodology akin to "reverse translational research" in medical and pharmaceutical sciences.

[1] Mariko Inamoto, Takuya Kato, Akihiko Konagaya: A Case Study of “Phantom Genji Scrolls” Painter School Identification by means of Deep Learning Technology - Reconstruction of Painter School Concept by AI Technology -, The Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, 36(6), p.F-L12_1-16 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1527/tjsai.36-6_F-L12 (in Japanese)
[2] Akihiko Konagaya, A Case Study of Value Creation as an Art Exhibit: the VR Genji fold screen reproducing lamplight and its reflection from gold leaf, The Institute of Systems, Control and Information Engineers, 66(7), pp. 256-261, (2022). https://doi.org/10.11509/isciesci.66.7_256 (in Japanese)