In a groundbreaking event, a portrait of British mathematician Alan Turing created by Ai-Da—the world’s first ultra-realistic humanoid robot artist—sold at auction for an impressive $1.08 million (equivalent to £566,000 or A$1.63 million). The portrait, titled A.I. God. Portrait of Alan Turing, was auctioned in New York on Thursday, drawing intense interest and ultimately exceeding initial sale estimates by a wide margin.
The towering 2.2-meter (7.5-foot) portrait went under the hammer at Sotheby’s, where it had been initially valued between $120,000 and $180,000. Defying expectations, the artwork received 27 bids, leading to the final price of over $1 million. Sotheby’s highlighted the importance of the sale, calling it a pivotal moment that underscores the convergence of artificial intelligence and the global art market.
“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 stated.
Ai-Da: The World’s First Humanoid Robot Artist
Ai-Da, the robotic artist behind the Turing portrait, was developed over two years by a team of programmers, roboticists, art experts, and psychologists. Named after Ada Lovelace, the pioneering computer programmer, Ai-Da is equipped with advanced AI systems allowing it to speak, paint, and respond to the world around it. Continual updates ensure that Ai-Da remains at the cutting edge of AI capabilities.
Reflecting on its work, Ai-Da explained, “The key value of my work is its capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies.” The robot further commented on the thematic elements of the portrait, noting that the image of Alan Turing is designed to prompt viewers to “reflect on the God-like nature of AI and computing while considering the ethical and societal implications of these advancements.”
The decision to paint Turing—a mathematician and early computer scientist known for his code-breaking work during World War II—was fitting, given his foundational contributions to computer science and his early concerns regarding artificial intelligence. In the 1950s, Turing had expressed ethical concerns about the potential implications of AI, making him a prescient choice for Ai-Da’s first high-profile portrait.
The Creative Process Behind The Turing Portrait
Ai-Da’s artistic process is both sophisticated and eerily human. Using built-in cameras as “eyes,” Ai-Da captures images of its subjects and processes them through AI algorithms to guide its brushstrokes. Before creating Turing’s portrait, Ai-Da decided on specific details, including the style, colors, content, tone, and texture, to best capture Turing’s legacy. The final painting features “muted tones and broken facial planes,” a choice Meller believes symbolizes the challenges Turing once warned humanity would face in managing AI.
Meller praised Ai-Da’s works as “ethereal and haunting,” suggesting that each creation pushes viewers to question the potential direction AI might take and the global race to control this powerful technology. Ai-Da’s Turing portrait thus not only celebrates a historic figure but also ignites an important conversation about the future of AI and its ethical implications.
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