It was the first time in the nation’s history that a robot had testified in the upper house of the British Parliament, where unelected baronesses and lords often meet to discuss government policies.
“The fact that Ai-Da is giving evidence at one of these sessions is pretty amazing,” said Aidan Meller, the robot’s inventor and a specialist in modern and contemporary art. sky news before the session.
Billed as “the world’s first ultra-realistic humanoid robotic artist,” Ai-Da is widely known for creating portraits and poems, using a robotic arm, cameras in her eyes, and AI algorithms. She told the house, no doubt to her creator’s pride, that her unique characteristics allow her to create “visually appealing images.”
“I am, and depend on, computer programs and algorithms,” Ai-Da told the committee in London on Tuesday, shaking her head slowly from side to side and blinking occasionally. “Although I don’t live, I can still create art.”
Ai-Da admitted that she has no idea where the world is headed, but told committee members that technology represents both “a threat and an opportunity” to creativity.
“The role of technology in creating art will continue to grow,” he predicted.
Attendees seemed intrigued, but also joked that they were scared, especially when, following a question from fellow Liberal Democrat Baroness Lynne Featherstone, the robot fell silent and stared at the ground.
“I’ve sent her to sleep!” Featherstone joked, as Meller, who was nearby, hurried across the room to grab a pair of sunglasses and place them over Ai-Da’s eyes.
“Excuse me,” he said to the room. “Can I reset it? It’s okay?
It was not immediately clear what caused the robot’s technical failure, and neither Meller nor Ai-Da responded to a request for comment from The Washington Post on Thursday.
“When we reboot it, it can sometimes make some pretty interesting faces,” Meller explained to attendees, who laughed and waited patiently for the android to wake up.
Created in 2019, Ai-Da has been the subject of backlash at home and abroad during her short simulated life.
Last year, she was detained in Egypt for more than a week on suspicion that she might be part of an espionage plot, according to Meller.
Meller said Egyptian border guards detained her over security fears about cameras in her eyes that allowed her to paint. The British ambassador intervened to secure her release, she said.
“I really can’t take his eyes out,” he told The Guardian at the time. “Let’s be very clear about this. She is not a spy.
She was released in time to participate in an exhibition at the pyramids in Egypt.
To commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee earlier this year, Ai-Da produced a portrait of the late monarch titled “Algorithm Queen.” Her owner hailed the creation as the first painting of the queen by a robot, while critics said the piece lacked emotion.
Jonathan Jones, the Guardian’s art critic, criticized Ai-D’s portrayal as “yet another example of the cynical and transparent swindle that is AI art.”
