Technology Painting by robot to be auctioned for the first time

For the first time, a well-known auction house is auctioning a picture painted by a robot. The portrait of British scientist Alan Turing was created by Ai-Da, an "ultra-realistic humanoid robot artist" developed at the University of Oxford in 2019.

Turing (1912-1954) is considered the father of modern computer science. Auction house Sotheby's estimates the value of the painting at 100,000 to 150,000 pounds, or around 120,000 to 180,000 euros. The painting, christened "AI God", is part of a day-long auction that begins today and runs until October 29.

It is not the first picture that Ai-Da has painted. In the past, the robot, which is dressed as a woman and named after the British mathematician Ada Lovelace, has painted portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, among others. To do this, the machine uses cameras in its eyes and its computer memory before applying various algorithms.

Robot can also speak

The Turing painting was first exhibited at the United Nations in May 2024. With the auction, Sotheby's says it wants to explore the intersection between art and technology and present digital art forms that reflect various movements within the contemporary digital art landscape. It will recognize pioneering female artists who have played a role in the development of digital art.

Ai-da can also talk thanks to an AI language model. "With my artwork of Alan Turing, I pay tribute to his achievements and contributions to the development of computer technology and artificial intelligence," said the robot. "My artwork is in line with the United Nations' ethos of using AI responsibly - something Alan Turing also advocated."