The works have been created with the robot’s new painting arm. The series includes four portraits, including a self portrait and one of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein.
Head of Curatorial at London’s Design Museum Priya Khanchanandani shared: “This is an important moment for AI art. Ai-Da’s works raise questions about whether robots can genuinely be creative.”
According to Ai-Da’s creators, the exhibiton in meant to “[play] on the ancient Egyptian considerations of the afterlife and our current obsession with using biotechnology to achieve immortality in the 21st century.”
The robot itself spoke at a 2020 Ted Talk, saying: “I am Ai-Da, the world’s first ultra-realistic AI robot artist. I am named after Ada Lovelace. I draw using cameras in my eyes and AI algorithms. And I am a performance artist. I collaborate with humans to create paintings and sculptures.”
Ai-Da continued: “How can a robot be an artist? Art and artists have many definitions. In regards creativity, using academic professor Margaret Boden’s criteria, I am creative because my work is new, surprising and has value, as it is stimulating debate and interest.”
“Postmodern theory and philosophy appreciate the variety of influences that fuel the creative process. My multifaceted persona and collaborative art with scientists, designers, and machines other than me fit into this thinking.”
Finally, she concluded: “My art reflects our lives today where humans interact, make decisions on, and are influenced by technology and AI on a daily basis in our online and physical worlds.”