Ai-Da Robot, named after Ada Lovelace – who is considered to be the first computer programmer – has become the first humanoid robotic artist to have its artwork sold by a major auction house.
Created by a team led by Aidan Meller, Ai-Da is an ultra-realistic robot designed to look like a human female, which has cameras in its eyes and uses artificial intelligence to create drawings, paintings and sculptures.
Estimated to sell for between £100,000 and £150,000, the artwork, “AI God”, far surpassed its predicted selling price when it was bought on Thursday, according to Sotheby’s.
At 2.2m tall and created using AI algorithms, the portrait depicts Turing, who is regarded as the father of modern computer science.
For “AI God”, Ai-Da chose three of the 15 portraits she had made of Turing, as well as a painting she had made of his bombe machine. These were then photographed and uploaded on to a computer, where the final image was assembled following discussion with Ai-Da, using her language model, about what she wanted the final work to look like.
This final image was printed using a 3D textured printer, with Ai-Da adding marks and texture onto the canvas to complete the artwork. Studio assistants also added texture on to the artwork as Ai-Da’s robotic painting arm is unable to stretch to a large-scale canvas.
“The key value of my work is its capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies,” Ai-Da said. “‘AI God’, a portrait of pioneer Alan Turing, invites viewers to reflect on the god-like nature of AI and computing while considering the ethical and societal implications of these advancements.
“Alan Turing recognised this potential, and stares at us as we race towards this future.”
Meller, director of the Ai-Da Robot Studios, added: “This auction is an important moment for the visual arts, where Ai-Da’s artwork brings focus on artworld and societal changes, as we grapple with the rising age of AI. The artwork ‘AI God’ raises questions about agency, as AI gains more power.”
In 2022, Ai-Da painted portraits of the acts headlining Glastonbury Festival: Billie Eilish, Diana Ross, Kendrick Lamar and Paul McCartney.
The same year, the robot painted a portrait of Queen Elizabeth ahead of the platinum jubilee, and became the first AI-powered robot to give evidence to a parliamentary committee discussing the impact of technology on the creative industries.