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Portrait by robot Ai-Da to sell at auction in art world first

The ‘haunting’ piece depicts Alan Turing, one of the fathers of modern computing, who had warned about the use of artificial intelligence

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Ai-Da poses in front of a painting she made during the press preview of the London Design Biennale 2023 at Somerset House, central London, in June 2023. Photo: AFP

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, organisers said on Wednesday.

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The work, due to go under the hammer online at Sotheby’s next month, is described as a “haunting” portrait of the English mathematician Alan Turing, considered one of the fathers of modern computing.

Titiled “AI God”, the 2.2 metre (7.5 foot) high portrait is expected to fetch between £100,000 and £150,000 (US$130,000 and US$196,000).

The online sale, featuring a range of digital art forms, would explore the intersection between art and technology, according to Sotheby’s.

The ultra-realistic robot is designed to resemble a human woman with a face, large eyes and a brown wig and is one of the most advanced in the world. It works by using AI algorithms and has cameras in its eyes and bionic hands.

Ai-Da paints an image in London in April 2022. Photo: AP
Ai-Da paints an image in London in April 2022. Photo: AP

Aidan Meller, gallery owner and founder of Ai-Da Robot studio, led the team that created it with artificial intelligence specialists at the universities of Oxford and Birmingham in England.

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