Photo credit: Ai-Da Robot Studios

A painting created by an AI robot, depicting the famous WWII codebreaker Alan Turing, has fetched $1,084,800 at auction.

The digital artwork, titled "A.I. God," attracted 27 bids at Sotheby's, far surpassing its initial estimated sale price of $120,000 to $180,000.

Alan Turing, known as the father of AI and a pioneering mathematician, played a pivotal role in the Allies' victory during WWII by cracking the Enigma code.

Post-war, he laid the foundation for modern computing.

Sotheby's described this sale as a groundbreaking event that "launches a new frontier in the global art market," setting a benchmark for AI-generated artwork by a humanoid robot.

This artwork by Ai-Da Robot represents the first time a humanoid robot's creation has been sold at auction.

Ai-Da Robot completed 15 paintings of Turing, each taking up to eight hours to produce.

The auction house noted that the anonymous buyer paid a price significantly higher than the artwork's initial estimate.

The sale underscores the growing intersection between AI technology and the art world. Ai-Da Robot, utilizing an advanced AI language model, views its work as a catalyst for discussions about emerging technologies.

"The key value of my work is its capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies," Ai-Da Robot commented.

The artwork "invites viewers to reflect on the god-like nature of AI and computing while considering the ethical and societal implications of these advancements."

Aidan Meller, director of Ai-Da Robot Studios, highlighted the significance of this sale for the visual arts.

"This auction is an important moment for the visual arts, where Ai-Da’s artwork brings focus on art world and societal changes as we grapple with the rising age of AI," Meller stated.

"The artwork 'AI God' raises questions about agency as AI gains more power."

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