Artificial intelligence creates stunning portrait of the British monarch through robotic brushstrokes
Artificial Intelligence Meets Tradition: Ai-Da's Portrait of King Charles III
In a unique fusion of technology and tradition, a humanoid robot named Ai-Da has created an impressionistic portrait of King Charles III. The painting, titled "Algorithm King," was unveiled at the AI For Good Summit hosted by the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ai-Da, the brainchild of gallery director Aidan Meller, was first introduced in 2019. The robot was created in collaboration with Engineered Arts, academics from the University of Oxford and the University of Leeds, with the goal of exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on creativity and art.
Named after Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer, Ai-Da is a humanoid robot artist. She is capable of speaking and having natural conversations, and uses oil colors and a robotic arm to create her art. However, walking is not currently a feature of Ai-Da's capabilities, and she must be physically placed before a canvas to begin painting.
King Charles did not sit for the portrait; instead, Ai-Da used photos of the monarch and AI technology to produce the artwork. The painting is seen as a statement about the intersection of AI and art, and the cultural landscape.
The tradition of painting portraits of British monarchs dates back more than six centuries. Ai-Da's creation of a portrait of King Charles III raises questions about the ethical considerations of using AI in art, particularly regarding the use of photographs and the compensation of photographers.
Ai-Da made comments about being part of the United Nations event and the evolving role of AI in society. Her creator, Aidan Meller, was interviewed by Digital Trends about the inspiration behind Ai-Da's creation in 2020. Meller explained that the project was conceived as an ethical arts project aimed at exploring the potential of AI in art, rather than to replace human painters.
In summary, the inspiration for Ai-Da was grounded in exploring the ethical, creative, and collaborative potentials of AI in art, rather than a single dramatic event. The project serves as a platform to reflect on AI’s role and limitations in the cultural sphere.
Artificial Intelligence's influence extends to the realm of entertainment, as the unveiling of Ai-Da's portrait of King Charles III at the AI For Good Summit showcases. In the future, we might witness artificial-intelligence-generated movies and TV shows, further blending technology and art in the entertainment sector.
The portrait of King Charles III, called "Algorithm King," is a representation of the ongoing cultural discourse around AI and art, also raising questions about ethical considerations in using AI for art creation, such as the use of photographs and compensating photographers.
