Robot artist makes history as the first humanoid to sell at Sotheby’s

The first ever ultra-realistic humanoid artist, Ai-Da, will have its art auctioned by Sotheby’s this week – a milestone for the art world.

The robot’s work, ‘A.I. God’, portrays three paintings of Alan Turing, the so-called father of modern computer science, and will be featured in Sotheby’s Digital Art sale from 31 October to 7 November.

Measuring 7.5 ft, the piece has been estimated to sell for anywhere between £100,000 and £150,000.

Sotheby’s has said it would accept cryptocurrency payments for Ai-Da’s work.

As part of its digital sale, the bot will appear alongside leading digital and generative artists such as Pak, Xcopy and Refik Anadol.

Sothebt’s Head of NFT and Digital art, Michael Bouhanna, said: “Ai-Da’s portrait joins a selection of cutting-edge works that… push the boundaries of artistic creation today. Together, they prompt a discussion of how we can appreciate and experience the ever-evolving possibilities around artmaking in the 21st century.

The portrait of Alan Turing was first exposed to the public at the United Nations earlier this year as part of a larger series.

Ai-Da commented: “Through my artwork of Alan Turing, I commemorate his achievements and contributions to the development of computing and A.I. My artwork aligns with the United Nations ethos that A.I is used responsibly- something Alan Turing also advocated”.

The bot’s creator, gallerist Aiden Meller, added: “In the 1950s, Alan Turing raised concerns over the use of AI. Ai-Da’s portrait hauntingly evokes Alan Turing, using muted tones and broken facial planes, and a background with shadowy forms of the Bombe machine.”

Ai-Da: a rising profile of the art world

Since its creation, Ai-Da has made a name for itself in the art sector, attending global exhibitions and high-profile events.

This year and last, it appeared at the United Nations Global Summit on AI for Good and the London Design Biennale and collaborated with Baz Luhrmann on a campaign for London’s Design Museum.

Ai-Da has also exhibited its work at the V&A, the Ashmolean Museum and the Venecian Biennale, as well as speaking at the House of Lords on the topic of AI and ethics.

Aiden Meller, who devised the robot to explore AI’s increasing impact on our society, said: “The greatest artists in history grappled with their period of time, and both celebrated and questioned society’s shifts. Ai-Da Robot as technology is the perfect artist today to discuss the current developments with technology and its unfolding legacy”.