A portrait of computer science pioneer Alan Turing created by humanoid robot artist Ai-Da has recently sold for $1.08 million at Sotheby’s auction house, marking a significant milestone in the market for AI-generated art. The sale exceeded pre-auction estimates and was sold in an online bidding war with 27 competitive bids.
The portrait, titled “A.I. God,” measures 2.2 meters (7.5 feet) and depicts Turing, who is considered the father of artificial intelligence. This sale follows the growing institutional recognition of AI art, with a notable example being Jason Michael Allen’s MidJourney-generated piece “Théâtre D’opéra Spatial,” which won the Colorado State Fair’s digital art category in 2022.
The increasing interest in AI-generated art can be attributed to younger generations of collectors, as well as the potential for new and innovative artistic expressions. The success of Ai-Da’s work has sparked debate within the artistic community, with some online art forums banning AI-generated works and others excluding human artists whose style resembles AI outputs.
However, this sale represents a significant endorsement for generative AI and highlights the potential for AI to contribute to the global art market, which is worth $65 billion. Ai-Da, named after computing pioneer Ada Lovelace, is an ultra-realistic humanoid artist that uses advanced AI language models to communicate.
The robot spent up to eight hours to complete each of the 15 paintings in the collection, using fragmented imagery to comment on society’s algorithmic transition. The sale of Ai-Da’s artwork is a pivotal moment for the global art market and showcases the potential of AI-generated art to captivate audiences and generate significant revenue.
As AI continues to develop, it will likely play an increasingly important role in the creation and consumption of art, prompting discussions about the implications and future of AI in the creative industries.
