Auction of Ai-Da's Portrait: The Future of Art and AI at Sotheby's

Groundbreaking Auction of Ai-Da's Portrait

The robot artist Ai-Da, a humanoid powered by artificial intelligence, will be the first of its kind to have a painting sold at a major auction house, as confirmed by organizers on Wednesday.

The work, set to go under the hammer online at Sotheby’s next month, showcases a haunting portrait of the renowned mathematician Alan Turing, a pivotal figure in the world of computing.

The Impact of AI in the Art World

Titled “AI God,” this striking 2.2-meter (7.5-foot) high painting is projected to fetch between £100,000 and £150,000 (approximately US$130,000 to US$196,000). This online sale will feature various forms of digital art, exploring the convergence of art and technology, as outlined by Sotheby’s.

• Ai-Da is engineered to resemble a human female, complete with a realistic face and bionic hands.
• Created by a team led by Aidan Meller in collaboration with AI experts from Oxford and Birmingham, Ai-Da utilizes advanced AI algorithms.
• Meller highlighted Turing’s historical concerns regarding AI use in the 1950s.
• The artwork’s “muted tones and broken facial planes” reflect the struggles Turing foresaw in managing AI.

Ai-Da’s creations evoke themes of ethereal beauty while provoking thoughts about the potential directions AI might take us. Notably, in 2022, Ai-Da produced portraits of famous performers at the Glastonbury Festival, including Kendrick Lamar and Billie Eilish.

Sotheby's Digital Art Sale is scheduled from October 31 to November 7, paving the way for exciting discussions about the future of creativity and technology.