A portrait of WWII codebreaker Alan Turing, painted by a humanoid robot named Ai-Da, has sold for a record-breaking $1,084,800 at auction. The sale, handled by Sotheby’s, marks the highest auction price for any artwork created by an AI-driven humanoid.
Ai-Da, a robot developed by British gallerist Aidan Meller, created the painting titled “AI God: Portrait of Alan Turing,” which surpassed its estimated price of $120,000 to $180,000 after drawing 27 bids.
The artwork, a fragmented portrait of Turing using dark colors and abstract details, reflects Turing’s pioneering role in computer science and his legacy in artificial intelligence.
An undisclosed buyer placed the winning bid for this painting, which included elements of Turing’s WWII codebreaking Bombe Machine in the background.
Sotheby’s auction house described the sale as “a moment in the history of modern and contemporary art” and pointed to the growing intersection of AI and the global art market.
Ai-Da, launched in 2019, has been designed to mimic human-like artistry with a black bob haircut, robotic arms, and advanced cameras that allow it to scan images, create sketches, and paint sections of its subjects.
Each part of Turing’s face took Ai-Da six to eight hours to complete, and the final portrait was assembled with intricate attention to detail and printed on a larger canvas using 3D technology.
Meller sees Ai-Da’s work as a lens into a “post-human” future where decisions and creative expression may be increasingly driven by AI. “This is more than just an artwork,” Meller said, emphasizing the societal questions posed by the painting. “Ai-Da’s creation is a mirror to where we’re going.”
The painting has stirred debate on AI’s role in art, with Meller comparing its impact to that of photography’s invention, while critics like The Telegraph’s Alastair Sooke, liken it to “a sophisticated novelty.”
Ai-Da defended its artistic value in a statement, emphasizing the artwork’s purpose as a catalyst for ethical and societal dialogue.
“Alan Turing recognized this potential, and stares at us, as we race toward a future shaped by AI,” Ai-Da stated.
In recent years, Ai-Da has gained global recognition, including participating in the United Nations Global Summit on AI for Good, highlighting the robot’s role in international discussions on AI and society.
