A painting made by an AI-powered humanoid robot named Ai-Da Robot sold for $1.08 million at Sotheby’s digital art day auction in New York on November 7th. The artwork, a portrait of computer scientist Alan Turing, smashed its pre-sale estimate of $120,000 to $180,000, attracting 27 bidders. The work also had a third party guarantee. The sale marks the first time a painting by a humanoid robot has been sold at auction.
AI God. Portrait of Alan Turing (2024) pays homage to the British mathematician, whose work in theoretical computer science during World War II laid the foundation for modern computers and AI. Ai-Da, equipped with cameras for eyes and robotic arms, uses advanced AI algorithms to turn what she sees into sketches and then paintings.
“The key value of my work is its capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies. AI God, a portrait of pioneer 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,” said Ai-Da, using an advanced AI language model. “Alan Turing recognised this potential, and stares at us, as we race towards this future.”
To create this painting, Ai-Da painted 15 different versions of Turing’s face. After creating these works, Ai-Da chose three to combine with a painting she made of Turing’s Bombe machine, which helped decipher German codes in WWII, for the final artwork. The composite image was then digitally assembled and printed on a larger scale using a 3D textured printer, with additional texturing added by studio assistants to enhance the final piece.
British gallerist Aidan Meller created Ai-Da with the help from a team of Oxford University scientists. Named after the pioneering mathematician Ada Lovelace, Ai-Da presents as a woman with black hair wearing denim overalls.
“This auction seems an important moment for the visual arts, where Ai-Da’s artwork brings focus on artworld and societal changes, as we grapple with the rising age of AI. The artwork, AI God, raises questions about agency, as AI gains more power,” said Meller in a press statement.
AI God: Portrait of Alan Turing was the most significant sale of Sotheby’s digital art day auction, which fetched $1.48 million in total. The auction also featured pieces from Pak, XCOPY, and Refik Anadol, among others. The lot with the highest estimate was XCOPY’s DOOM Party (2020), estimated at $800,000 to $1.5 million. The work was passed over.
