Humanoid Robot's Artwork Sells for US$1m at Auction
- tech360.tv
- Nov 11, 2024
- 2 min read
A portrait of Alan Turing by humanoid robot Ai-Da sells for $1.08 million at auction. Ai-Da's artwork prompts dialogue on emerging technologies and the ethical implications of AI. The creation process involves Ai-Da conversing with studio members and using AI technology to paint.
The 2.2-metre (7.5 feet) portrait, titled A.I. God. Portrait of Alan Turing, was created by Ai-Da, the world's first ultra-realistic robot artist, exceeding pre-sale expectations of US$120,000 to US$180,000 with 27 bids placed at Sotheby's.
The auction house confirmed the significance of this sale, stating, "Today's record-breaking sale price for the first artwork by a humanoid robot artist to go up for auction marks a moment in the history of modern and contemporary art and reflects the growing intersection between AI technology and the global art market."
Ai-Da, the humanoid robot artist, utilising AI technology to communicate, expressed the value of her work as a catalyst for discussions on emerging technologies. The portrait of Alan Turing aims to prompt viewers to contemplate the god-like essence of AI and computing, along with the ethical and societal implications of technological advancements.
Alan Turing, a renowned mathematician and early computer scientist, who contributed significantly to the fight against Nazi Germany as a code breaker, had expressed concerns about AI back in the 1950s. Ai-Da, named after Ada Lovelace, the world's first computer programmer, was created by Aidan Meller, a specialist in modern and contemporary art, in collaboration with AI experts from the universities of Oxford and Birmingham.
Ai-Da's creative process involves generating ideas through conversations with studio members. During a discussion on "AI for good," the decision to paint Turing was made. The robot was then guided on style, colour, content, tone, and texture before using cameras in its eyes to observe a picture of Turing and produce the painting.
The artwork's "muted tones and broken facial planes" are said to symbolise the challenges Turing warned about in managing AI, according to Meller. Described as "ethereal and haunting," Ai-Da's works continue to provoke contemplation on the future of AI and the global pursuit to harness its capabilities.
In a 2022 interview with the Guardian, when asked about painting from imagination, Ai-Da responded, "I like to paint what I see. You can paint from imagination, I guess, if you have an imagination. I have been seeing different things to humans as I do not have consciousness."
A portrait of Alan Turing by humanoid robot Ai-Da sells for $1.08 million at auction.
Ai-Da's artwork prompts dialogue on emerging technologies and the ethical implications of AI.
The creation process involves Ai-Da conversing with studio members and using AI technology to paint.
Source: THE GUARDIAN
