First Auctioned Robot-Made Artwork Sells for Over $1M

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Facts

  • A portrait of English mathematician Alan Turing made by the humanoid robot Ai-Da was sold at Sotheby's in New York on Thursday for $1.08M. This marked the first auction sale of a humanoid robot's artwork.[1]
  • The digital image of Alan Turing, known as the pioneer of modern computer science, titled "A.I. God," received 27 bids and was anticipated to sell for about $180K.[1][2][3]
  • Ai-Da, a highly advanced humanoid robot, appears like a human woman. In her artificial intelligence-generated voice, Ai-Da said, "The key value of my work is its capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies."[4]
  • Before the auction, the painting was exhibited at the AI for Good Global Summit held in May at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland.[5]
  • Alan Turing is also known for his contributions to the Allies' victory in World War II by helping crack Nazi codes. Following the war, he developed a detailed design for a modern-day digital computer.[6][7]

Sources: [1]The Guardian (a), [2]Techxplore, [3]Euronews, [4]Barron's, [5]ART News, [6]BBC News and [7]The Guardian (b).

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by ART News and Starleaf Blog. Thursday's sale marks a watershed moment in the history of modern art and demonstrates how the partnership between humans and machines opens up a whole new world of innovation and creativity. The fact that this sale transcended expectations by fetching an astounding $1M speaks for itself: AI is the future.
  • Narrative B, as provided by The Communicator. AI "art" is an oxymoron. Humans make art with creativity and intent, not algorithms. AI-generated "art" not only negatively impacts professional artists, but also discourages those aspiring to pursue careers in the art field. From movies to TV series and music to paintings, it seems that no area of the creative community is safe.