Robot Art Sells for More Than a Million

A painting that was created by a robot using AI sold for more than one million dollars.

A robot called Ai-Da poses in front of two of the paintings that it created. The painting on the right sold for more than one million dollars.

A painting created by a robot has sold for more than one million dollars, raising new questions about what makes an artist.

The painting received 27 bids at an auction. It ended up selling for $1,084,800, a far higher amount than the predicted selling price of $120,000 to $180,000.

The artwork is a portrait of Alan Turing, an English mathematician who designed a code-breaking machine during World War II. Turing, who could be considered an early computer scientist, predicted that computers and artificial intelligence (AI) would become dominant in people’s lives. It was AI that enabled a humanoid robot named Ai-Da to create Turing’s portrait.

“We’re going into a post-human world where decision-making is not human,” Aidan Meller, who helped build Ai-Da, told CNN. “[The world is] increasingly algorithmic because we’ve seen it’s reliable…Ai-Da’s artwork is really showing you the potential future of where we could go.”

A closeup of the highly valued AI painting of Alan Turing.

The creation of the Turing portrait was the final step in a process. After Ai-Da’s builders discussed with the robot the idea of “AI for good,” Ai-Da suggested Alan Turing as its subject. Cameras in Ai-Da’s eyes scanned a photo of Turing. Then, the robot produced 15 different paintings of the mathematician, taking about six to eight hours to complete each one. Ai-Da chose three of the paintings as the best representations of Turing. Ai-Da’s arm can paint only on small canvases, so the three paintings were printed onto larger canvases with a 3D printer.

Meller says it makes sense that such a high value is being placed on a robot’s artwork in a world where AI can do more and more.

“This auction is an important moment for the visual arts, where Ai-Da’s artwork brings focus on artworld and societal changes, as we grapple with the rising age of AI,” Meller told the BBC.

The video shows Ai-Da at work.

Did You Know?

In a 2023 study, people had trouble telling the difference between art that was made by humans and art that was made by AI. For each painting below, see if you can guess if it was created by a human or by AI. Then click on the painting to find out if you’re correct.

AI

HUMAN

AI

HUMAN

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City (1975.1.592, 1994.420), www.metmuseum.org; The Art Institute of Chicago (1922.431); Andrew Samo, Scott Highhouse, Artificial Intelligence and Art: Identifying the Aesthetic Judgment Factors That Distinguish Human- and Machine-Generated Artwork, June 2023.

Is AI Art Really Art?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1993.132), www.metmuseum.org; © Donfiore/Dreamstime.com; Photo illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Artificial intelligence has been used to produce all kinds of art, including short stories, music, and visual art like paintings. But is it fair to call something “art” when it’s made by a machine? That’s up for debate. Here are some common arguments for and against the acceptance of AI artists.

Yes, AI art is real art.

Art is meant to help us understand the world. It can inspire people and even make them emotional. AI art can do all of this. It can reflect the world we live in and make people feel something new.

No, AI art is not real art.

Human artists express their ideas and emotions through their art. AI doesn’t come up with new ideas. Instead, it uses human inputs to determine what to produce. Also, AI is not capable of feeling emotions.

Now it’s your turn. Do you think machines can be artists?

Where Will AI Go Next?

What can AI do, and what is its future? Will it take over the world?

You can explore AI, and related subjects like ChatGPT, at Britannica.

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