In a historic first for Sotheby’s, the iconic auction house will soon auction off a painting created by a humanoid robot—a sale that could bring in as much as $180,000. The robot, known as Ai-Da, created the piece titled AI God, a portrait of renowned mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing. The artwork was completed using Ai-Da’s hydraulically powered hands.
Ai-Da is remarkable because this robot isn’t just a machine with some painting algorithms. It is equipped with cameras for eyes and powered by an internal AI language model, enabling it to communicate with people, analyze its environment, and even compose poetry. Regarding the portrait of Turing, Ai-Da commented, “Through my artwork of Alan Turing, I commemorate his achievements and contributions to the development of computing and AI.” The resulting painting, an eerie yet monumental 7-foot-tall portrayal of Turing, is both a tribute and a provocation, inviting viewers to reflect on the nature of human creativity and technological advancement.
Michael Bouhanna, Sotheby’s head of NFT & digital art, remarked on the significance of Ai-Da’s creation, saying, “Ai-Da’s portrait joins a selection of cutting-edge works that — in their individual ways — push the boundaries of artistic creation today. Together, they discuss how we can appreciate and experience the ever-evolving possibilities around artmaking in the 21st century.”
Ai-Da’s creators designed her to be a performance artist as much as a painter, embodying the idea of a machine merging with human culture. She exudes a bizarre but undeniable presence with a bob haircut, overalls, robotic arms, and a lifelike face. While Ai-Da can perform many creative tasks, she cannot walk, and her creators assure us that she is non-conscious, stressing that she is an artistic tool rather than an autonomous being.
The mastermind behind Ai-Da is British gallerist Aidan Meller, who developed the robot in 2019 alongside the robotics company Engineered Arts and the University of Oxford. Since her creation, Ai-Da’s work has been exhibited in prestigious locations, including the United Nations and the Chelsea Factory, and she has even delivered speeches at 10 Downing Street, the House of Lords, and the Founders Forum.
In speaking about the portrait of Turing, Meller reflected on the deep connection between the figure of Alan Turing and the themes of AI. “In the 1950s, Alan Turing raised concerns over the use of AI,” Meller said. “Ai-Da’s portrait hauntingly evokes Alan Turing. Both ethereal and haunting, Ai-Da robot’s artworks continue to question where the power of AI will take us and the global race to harness its power.”
With the auction of AI God, Ai-Da’s work sparks a crucial conversation at the intersection of art, technology, and human identity. As society grapples with AI’s increasing influence, this sale is not just about the monetary value but also the future of artistic expression.
