While I have you on the line, I'll ask a big-picture grading question. AI is everywhere, including grading--there is good AI out there, some already in use (in combination with human eyes, mostly), and some seemingly on the shelf (Genamint looked promising when PSA bought them--then crickets, probably by design). And lots obviously in development . . . I've seen some that's "very close" but those last few hurdles (surface and eye appeal) are very, very tough.
A couple of AI graders rushed to market without real backing / cred; some other upstarts seemed to overstate AI use to give a perception of AI grading that wasn't really happening.
The "legacy" of millions of cards already graded by humans is pretty entrenched--in part because AI would mean both upheaval of the current business model, AND possibly call into question every previous grade. Although in theory, we would be training the AI to grade like a consistent human in many respects.
ANYWAY . . . What do YOU see in the future of grading as it pertains to AI? Short term, long term, anything. Will AI ever "take over"? Will generative AI + human be the norm sooner than later?
Thanks again for joining us for this chat!
This is a great question, Matt.
How much is AI being used by the major grading companies right now? I would be shocked if they weren't automating certain parts of the grading process (and then using humans to verify this information). This could be basic things, such as card identification, using computers to quickly calculate the centering, etc. These things can be done by humans, but automating certain processes could improve accuracy and save time. But that doesn't mean AI is grading the cards.
This is no different than a writer using spellcheck or Grammarly to identify and correct spelling and grammar mistakes. These are things the writer can do on his/her own. However, these tools can improve results and save time, provided the writer knows how to use them properly. But that isn't to say that AI is doing the writing. It only provides an assist.
That said, the card grading companies would need to be careful how they address this topic. If they say they use AI to assist, many people would jump to conclusions. But it's no different than your favorite author saying they use Grammarly.
I think real world applications of AI is different than what we see and hear on news and social media. AI has already become a part of our lives and I think it will continue to develop into an important tool people will use on a daily basis. In card grading, AI is being used in some applications already and I think we will see AI used in more areas, not just in the grading process but the submitting process and in the processing of submissions outside of the grading portion.
For graders, we will see AI used more in grading assistance. But AI doing all of the grading without an expert grader? I think we are still a ways off from that.
