World’s first ultra-realistic artist robot, Ai-Da. Yeah, you read it right, a robot artist is up and drawing fascinating and exuberant paintings. She is capable of drawing and painting using AI algorithms and her robotic arms.
Ai-Da made it news once again because of her marvelous painting of the modern computing legend “Alan Turing”. Turing’s portrait goes on auction at Sotheby next month. And this is the first time a painting created by a humanoid robot will be at auction by the famed auction house Sotheby.
The painting, titled AI God, is a striking 7.2-foot-high art of Turing, widely regarded as a foundational figure and father of modern computing. The estimated value would range from an average price of $150,000.
This mega auction by the major auction house – Sotheby’s is a showcase that explores the intersection of art and artificial intelligence. Alan’s portrait will be sold in Sotheby’s digital art sale will take place online from October 2024.
The ideation of Ai-Da
Ai-Da was founded by British gallerist Aidan Meller in the year 2019. He collaborated with artificial intelligence experts from the universities of Oxford and Birmingham to bring her to life. She is a performance artist, and designer built with cameras in her eyes, bionic hands, and programmed with AI algorithms.
Her art has gained international recognition, with exhibitions across the globe. The algorithms deployed in this AI engine can guide her brushstrokes and enable her to create art independently. And it does not need any human intervention
Ai-Da’s art journey
Ai-Da had her first major museum show at the Design Museum and held a solo exhibition at the Giardini during the Venice Biennale. Also, she has presented at prestigious venues such as the United Nations “AI for Good” Global Initiative.
Alongside the presentation, she addressed the complex implications of emerging technologies. Her incredible intellectual discussions have also reached the House of Lords and the Oxford Union.
In 2022, she painted portraits of the acts headlining the Glastonbury Festival: Billie Eilish, Diana Ross, Kendrick Lamar, and Sir Paul McCartney.
In July 2024, she was invited to talk at the exclusive Founders Forum. She was interviewed by Aidan Meller and commented on new technological developments and their future implications for humanity.
Discussion around AI and Ai-Da
Ai-Da’s voice resonates at a time when the senses between human creativity and machine language output were shot with many questions of differentiation. Her magnificent art opens up space for many questions about the nature of expression. Can an engine give life to the creation? What role does human intuition play in the art of creation, and how do AI-driven works fit into the larger conversation around creativity?
As the first robot to achieve such a monumental milestone in the art world, the upcoming auction of Ai-Da’s painting is likely to raise further discussions about the role of AI in social intelligence. While some may question the authenticity of art created by machines. But Ai-Da’s works invite us to keep checking the boundaries of human creativity in a rapidly evolving AI landscape.
As the bidding opens at the Sotheby’s, the creative and art world eyes with excitement. Not just to see the final price AI God will command, but to hear amazing discussions. And to witness how Ai-Da’s journey will shape the future of the art world?
The intersection of artificial intelligence and creativity, once a speculative domain, is now being actively explored, with Ai-Da leading the battlefield of war for art between AI and Human creativity.