AI Robot's 'Allen Turing' Portrait Sold for 1.8 Billion Won

A portrait of mathematician Alan Turing, painted by a humanoid robot, has won more than 1.8 billion won at auction, AFP reported.

"Artificial Intelligence God," painted by humanoid robot artist Ai-DA, was sold for $1.32 million at Sotheby's Digital Art Sale in London and 1.83 billion won in our money.

It was the first work by a humanoid robot artist to be auctioned off and sold for more than seven times the original estimated winning price of $180,000.

Sotheby's said the humanoid robot artist's first auction entry was sold at a record price, marking a milestone in modern and contemporary art history, indicating the growing intersection between AI technology and the international art market.

Alan Turing, painted by Aida, is a British mathematician who laid the foundations of modern computers and artificial intelligence and is also called the "father of artificial intelligence."

Ida, who speaks using AI, explained that the core value of her work is her ability to act as a catalyst for conversations about new technologies.

At the same time, Ida added, Alan Turing's portrait allows viewers to reflect on the godlike nature of AI and computing as they consider the ethical and social impact of these developments.

One of the most advanced robots in the world, Ida was created by Aidan Mellor, a modern and contemporary art expert, with artificial intelligence experts from Oxford University and the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

The name Aida comes from Ada Lovelace, the world's first computer programmer and looks like a human woman.

In terms of technology, Ida is the perfect artist to discuss current developments and their legacy with technology, Mellor said, and his work continues to raise questions about where AI's power will be directed and the global competition to harness that power.