AI robot artwork shatters auction estimates

The Brief: Humanoid robot artist Ai-da just made history at Sotheby’s Auction House, with its portrait of computer science pioneer Alan Turning selling for $1.

3M — marking the first major auction sale of a robot-created artwork.

The details:The “AI God” painting sparked intense bidding interest with 27 offers, selling for nearly 10x the originally estimated value of $120,000 to $180,000.
The piece combines traditional portrait artistry with AI-driven techniques, using cameras in Ai-Da’s eyes and robotic arms to capture and create the image.
The work is part of a larger series examining humanity’s relationship with technology, and the work was previously exhibited at the UN’s AI for Good Summit.
Sotheby’s said the artwork is the first by a humanoid robot artist, and Ai-Da commented that it ‘serves as a dialogue about emerging technologies.’Why it matters: Is the world ready to embrace non-human artists? If you’ve seen the reactions to AI artwork on social media, the answer is probably not, but it’s clear some are ready to challenge traditional notions of creativity and authorship. One day, pieces like Ai-Da’s may be historical artifacts from the early days of the AI and robotics boom.