Humanoid Robot Creates Stunning Portrait Of British Monarch

Commissioning a portrait of a British monarch is a prestigious honor that has been part of tradition for over six hundred years.

As this age-old practice persists, a notable shift has emerged with Ai-Da, a humanoid robot artist, unveiling a remarkable portrait of King Charles III.

The artwork, titled “Algorithm King,” was created using oil paints applied via Ai-Da’s robotic arm. Instead of having the monarch sit for the portrait, Ai-Da utilized photos of King Charles, combined with her AI capabilities, to craft the painting.

This piece was revealed during the AI For Good Summit, taking place at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ai-Da was developed by Aidan Meller, along with the robotics firm Engineered Arts and scholars from the University of Oxford and the University of Leeds. She first made her appearance in 2019.

In addition to painting, Ai-Da can engage in conversations, although she cannot walk and must be manually positioned in front of a canvas before she can start her work.

“It’s an honor to participate in this extraordinary event at the United Nations, among those who are influencing the future of technology and culture,” Ai-Da stated, as reported by Sky News. “Presenting my portrayal of His Majesty King Charles III is more than a creative endeavor; it illustrates the evolving role of AI within our society and highlights how artificial intelligence is impacting the cultural narrative.”

The convergence of art and AI is a subject of intense debate, and Ai-Da’s recent work is bound to heighten discussions on the matter.

While many artists are understandably concerned about technology companies using their work to train AI models, Ai-Da seems to navigate a complicated space. Although she analyzed images of King Charles to create her portrait, it appears that she didn’t employ mass training typical of general-purpose AI, akin to operations by tech giants like OpenAI and Google.

Still, questions persist about whether the photographers who captured these images granted permission for Ai-Da to use their work, and if so, whether they received any compensation. We have reached out to Ai-Da’s team and will update this article if we receive a response.

Ai-Da certainly challenges the boundaries between human and machine creativity, raising important questions regarding the essence of artistic expression and authorship.

Back in 2020, Digital Trends spoke with Aidan Meller about his fascinating creation, including the inspiration that led him to embark on the journey with Ai-Da.