Sotheby’s to auction painting by humanoid robot in a futuristic first
She’s a real Vincent van Go-bot.
In a first for Sotheby’s, the famed auction house will sell a painting made by a humanoid robot — and it’s expected to fetch up to a whopping $180,000.
The robot, known as Ai-Da, created the painting of renowned mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing entitled “AI God” with its own hydraulically powered hands.
Ai-Da is also outfitted with cameras for eyes and an internal language model, powered by artificial intelligence, that allows it to communicate with people and compose poems.
“Through my artwork of Alan Turing, I commemorate his achievements and contributions to the development of computing and AI,” Ai-Da said about her eerie painting, which is more than 7 feet tall, according to SWNS.
“Ai-Da’s portrait joins a selection of cutting-edge works that — in their individual ways — push the boundaries of artistic creation today,” Michael Bouhanna, Sotheby’s head of NFT & digital art, said in a statement to The Post Wednesday.
“Together, they prompt a discussion of how we can appreciate and experience the ever-evolving possibilities around artmaking in the 21st century.”
The human-presenting machine — replete with a fashionable bob haircut, overalls, robotic arms and a flesh-like face — is designed to be a performance artist, designer and poet.
However, the bag of bolts cannot walk, and its creators assure that Ai-Da is non-conscious.
Ai-Da is the brainchild of British gallerist Aidan Meller, who created the bot in 2019 in conjunction with Engineered Arts and the University of Oxford.
Its artwork has been featured at places such as the United Nations and the Chelsea Factory — and Ai-Da has given speeches at 10 Downing Street, the House of Lords, and the Founders Forum.
“In the 1950s, Alan Turing raised concerns over the use of AI. Ai-Da’s portrait hauntingly evokes Alan Turing,” Meller said in the statement.
“Both ethereal and haunting, Ai-Da robot’s artworks continue to question where the power of AI will take us, and the global race to harness its power.”
“AI God” is set to go up for auction this month as part of Sotheby’s Digital Art Sale.
