The first work of art painted by a humanoid robot is sold at auction – for a million dollars

Sold!

The first artwork painted by a humanoid robot – which was expected to fetch up to $180,000 – shocked the crowd when it sold for a whopping $1.08 million.

Sotheby’s, the famous auction house, sold the painting in New York on Thursday after 27 bids were made for the work.

“Today’s record sale price for the first artwork by a humanoid robot artist to come to auction marks a moment in the history of modern and contemporary art and reflects the growing intersection between AI technology and the global art market,” home of auctions. said in a statement.

The robot, known as Ai-Da, created renowned mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing’s painting titled “God AI” with its own hydraulically powered hands.

“The main value of my work is its ability to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies,” said Ai-Da, who uses AI to speak.

The robot added that a “portrait of pioneer Alan Turing invites viewers to reflect on the God-like nature of AI and computing while considering the ethical and social implications of these advances.”

Turing raised concerns about the use of AI as early as the 1950s.

Ai-Da is the brainchild of British gallerist Aidan Meller, who created the robot in 2019 in collaboration with Engineered Arts and the University of Oxford.

His artwork has been featured in venues such as the United Nations and Chelsea Factory – and Ai-Da has given speeches at 10 Downing Street, the House of Lords and the Founders Forum.

“Portrait of Ai-Da joins a selection of recent works that — in their individual ways — push the boundaries of artistic creation today,” Michael Bouhanna, Sotheby’s head of NFT and digital art, said in a statement to The Post. on Wednesday.

“Together, they prompt a discussion about how we can appreciate and experience the ever-evolving possibilities around art-making in the 21st century.”