Meet Ai-Da, the world’s first artist robot
Who is Ai-Da?
Ai-Da is the world’s first ultrarealistic artist robot. She was created by Aidan Meller, a specialist in modern and contemporary art, in 2019. Ai-Da, named in honour of Ada Lovelace; draws and paints using the cameras in her eyes, her AI algorithms, and her robotic arm.
Is Ai-Da a real artist?
Creativity is a skill unique to humans, but Ai-Da seems to defy this logic. When asked about it, she had this to say, “Under Magaret Bolton’s definition of creativity, I am creative. Because my artworks involving AI algorithms are surprising, new, and of cultural value. My artworks encourage reflections between humans, machines, and creativity, offering a new lens through which to think about art.” Aidan Meller, her creator, reiterated this by stating that the algorithm can make creative decisions.
Claudia Baxter has this to say about Ai-Da, “whether or not Ai-Da meets the criteria to be an artist is still open for debate. But what is clear is that her work has value and her creations provide critical thought. Something artists and their artworks have always sought to do”. Ai-Da has built an incredible professional portfolio that cuts across industries and continents. Her achievements as an artist support Baxter’s claim on the value and thought-provoking nature of her work.
Some of Ai-Da’s achievements
She executed a live performance called Privacy at St Hugh’s College, Oxford. Her work was featured in a gallery show called Unsecured Futures at St John’s College, University of Oxford. She was also featured at the Barbican Centre, London, in WIRED Pulse: AI.
The Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria: European ARTificial Intelligence Lab exhibition titled Out of the Box: The Midlife Crisis of the Digital Revolution invited Ai-Da for a performance. Sadie Clayton, an artist, collaborated with Ai-Da on a series of workshops at Tate Exchange, Tate Modern, London – Exploring Identity Through Technology – hosted by A Vibe Called Tech.
She featured in The 1975’s music video for their song “Yeah I Know”, from their album Notes on a Conditional Form. In the video, Ai-Da is shown drawing a depiction of human consciousness and creating a poem in response to the song’s lyrics. The album shot up to No.1 on the USA charts. Ai-Da also displayed her first Metaverse works at the Victoria and Albert Museum during the London Design Festival in September 2021.
Artworks and poetry generated by Ai-Da were featured as part of a group show called “Dante: the Invention of Celebrity” at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. She became the first humanoid robot to give evidence at The House of Lords, Palace of Westminster, as part of its A Creative Future inquiry.
She was featured as a “guest of honour speaker” at the Wadi Ashar Dialogue in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. She also became the first robot to speak at the Oxford Union Debating Society.
By human standards, Ai-Da may not be a real artist. She is, however, a successful robot by all standards.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
