The world-renowned auction house Sotheby's will present the first artwork created by a humanoid robot using artificial intelligence (AI) at the end of this month. Titled "A.I. God. Portrait of Alan Turing (2024)," the piece was produced by the artist robot Ai-Da, developed by British gallerist Aidan Meller. Sotheby's expects the unique artwork to fetch between $120,000 and $180,000 at the auction scheduled for October 31.
Meller emphasized that this work reflects society's relationship with technology and that art has historically mirrored social changes. He stated, "The greatest artists of the past are those who reflected changes in society through their art. A machine producing art expresses this change in the best way."
Meller also noted that this piece is different from other artworks produced by AI, as it is the first time a robot of this kind has had its work auctioned. The painting depicts British mathematician and AI pioneer Alan Turing.
Turing's portrait was previously displayed at a global AI summit organized by the United Nations in Geneva. Sotheby's also announced that it would accept cryptocurrency for this sale. Meller stated that he would reinvest his share of the auction proceeds back into the Ai-Da project.
Ai-Da claims to draw inspiration from visually striking and thought-provoking representations of the human form in the visual arts, asserting that her art has the capacity to initiate a dialogue about new technologies. Equipped with camera-like eyes and robotic arms, Ai-Da creates paintings and has previously given a speech in the House of Lords in the UK.
As Ai-Da's artwork sparks important discussions about the role of AI in art, Sotheby's prepares to test its value through the auction process.
