Ai-Da, a humanoid AI-powered robot, has made history as the first robot to sell a work of art at auction. The portrait, titled “AI God,” which depicts Alan Turing — the WWII Enigma code-breaker and early AI pioneer — sold for an impressive $1.08 million at Sotheby’s Digital Art Sale. The sale exceeded initial estimates of $120,000 to $180,000, attracting 27 bids before an anonymous buyer secured the artwork.
Created by Ai-Da Robot Studios and directed by Aidan Meller, Ai-Da features cameras for eyes, a robotic arm, and speaks using an AI language model. She was involved in the creative process from concept to execution. Meller shared that a conversation with Ai-Da about “AI for good” led her to choose Turing as the subject for this work, citing his foundational role in AI history. Ai-Da’s painting process combined a blend of AI-driven choices and robotic execution; she analyzed a photograph of Turing and applied algorithms to decide the piece’s texture, tone, and colors.
Ai-Da’s artistic style, described by Sotheby’s as inspired by Pablo Picasso’s Guernica and Doris Salcedo’s Atrabiliarios, reflects fractured, distorted visuals that convey human suffering and societal fracture. Ai-Da’s portrait of Turing consists of multiple layers: she initially sketched Turing using ink, then painted 15 individual A3-sized portraits using oil and acrylic paints, with each session spanning six to eight hours. The final artwork assembled three of these portraits, paired with an image of Turing’s Bombe machine — the wartime device he helped develop to decode Nazi communications.
Due to limitations in scale, Ai-Da’s human team assisted in transferring the artwork onto a large canvas. Ai-Da completed the piece by adding additional texture and marks, a process determined through a conversation with her AI model.
“AI God” debuted at the United Nations’ AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva and exemplifies Ai-Da’s broader contributions to AI-generated art. Since her debut, Ai-Da has exhibited worldwide, including at London’s Tate Modern, the V&A, and the Venice Biennale, and has created portraits of notable figures such as the Queen and Glastonbury headliners.
Credit: Ai-Da Robot Studios
In her press statement, Ai-Da emphasized the reflective nature of her work: “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 consider the ethical and societal implications of these advancements.”
AI-generated art remains a controversial topic, with the art industry witnessing the rise of platforms like Midjourney, DALL-E, and others that spark debates over originality, copyright, and labor impacts. The trend of AI artistry in high-profile galleries began in 2018, with Christie’s selling the algorithm-created Edmond de Belamy for $432,500. Now, Ai-Da’s million-dollar sale signals an enduring interest in AI art and its collectors.
Featured image courtesy of Mashable
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