Ai-Da breaks all auction records for an artwork by a humanoid robot

Sotheby's marked the first time a work created by a humanoid robot, was offered for sale at a major international auction house. The mixed-media portrait, completed in 2024, had previously been exhibited at the United Nations AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva before being consigned to the auction. The 64 × 90 inch mixed-media work on canvas depicts the British mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing, whose pioneering work laid the foundations of modern computing and artificial intelligence. 

Created using Ai-Da's AI algorithms, computer vision system and robotic arm, the work combines machine-generated image processing with physical mark-making before being completed with textured brushstrokes. Through its fractured composition, A.I. God. Portrait of Alan Turing explores both Turing's legacy and the ethical questions surrounding the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

The work realised a hammer price of US$1.1 million, substantially exceeding its pre-sale estimate and establishing the first auction sale of a work created by a humanoid robot at a major auction house. According to media monitoring company Nexus Lexus, coverage of the sale reached an estimated 2.9 billion people across 64 countries in 32 languages. Commenting on the auction, Project Director Aidan Meller said: "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. The artwork 'AI God' raises questions about agency, as AI gains more power."

The sale marked a significant moment in the relationship between artificial intelligence, contemporary art and the international art market, extending the public dialogue surrounding authorship, creativity and the cultural implications of AI.