A portrait of English mathematician Alan Turing has become the first artwork by a humanoid robot to be sold at auction. The portrait, titled A.I. God. Portrait of Alan Turing, fetched a staggering US$1.08 million (£566,000, A$1.63 million) at Sotheby’s.
Standing at 2.2 meters (7.5 feet) tall, the artwork was created by Ai-Da, a humanoid robot artist. Ai-Da, named after Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer, has been designed to resemble a woman and is among the most advanced robots in the world. The sale of her portrait at Sotheby’s exceeded pre-sale expectations, which were estimated between $120,000 and $180,000. The auction house confirmed that 27 bids were placed on the work, underscoring the high interest in this unique piece.
Ai-Da was developed over two years by a team of programmers, roboticists, art experts, and psychologists. The robot is continually updated as AI technology advances. Aidan Meller, a specialist in modern and contemporary art, led the team that created Ai-Da. They collaborated with artificial intelligence specialists from the universities of Oxford and Birmingham. Ai-Da generates ideas through conversations with studio members and suggested creating an image of Alan Turing during a discussion about “AI for good.”
Sotheby’s described the sale as a historic moment in the art world, reflecting the growing intersection between AI technology and global art markets. “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,” the auction house said in a statement.
Ai-Da herself commented on the sale, stating, “The key value of my work is its capacity to catalyze dialogue about emerging technologies.” The robot artist added that the portrait of 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 was a pioneering mathematician and early computer scientist who played a crucial role in World War II by working as a code breaker. He raised concerns about the use of AI in the 1950s, making this artwork particularly poignant. The muted tones and broken facial planes in Ai-Da’s portrait of Turing seemingly suggest the struggles Turing warned we would face in managing AI.
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Ai-Da’s creative process involves using cameras in her eyes to look at a picture of her subject, and then deciding on style, colour, content, tone, and texture. Meller explained that the robot’s works are “ethereal and haunting” and continues to question where the power of AI will take humanity and the global race to harness its potential.
The auction of Ai-Da’s work represents more than just a financial success; it is a significant milestone in the dialogue about AI and art. Meller stated, “The greatest artists in history grappled with their period, and both celebrated and questioned society’s shifts.” Ai-Da’s work continues this tradition by exploring the impact of AI on society.
In an interview with the Guardian in 2022, Ai-Da was asked whether she painted from imagination. She 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.
