MIT graduate student Alex Kachkine developed a technique that uses AI-generated polymer films to physically restore damaged paintings in hours.
It works by printing a transparent ‘mask’ containing thousands of precisely color-matched regions that conservators apply directly to an original artwork. These masks can be removed whenever needed, so it’s a reversible process.
Read the article on Ars Technica.
Sources:
• TLDR. (2025, June 23). TLDR Newsletter. https://a.tldrnewsletter.com/web-version?ep=1&lc=f5cb7e17-003d-11ed-9258-0241b9615763&p=dd5977b2-5007-11f0-b624-ab515b556d6f&pt=campaign&t=1750676146&s=f4bf968090147c3e45e91710fa090b11fa8d202792df01f603fc61e1b1df5ac6
• Edwards, B., & Edwards, B. (2025, June 20). MIT student prints AI polymer masks to restore paintings in hours. Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/06/mit-student-prints-ai-polymer-masks-to-restore-paintings-in-hours/