Humanoid painter Ai-Da made history by being the first robot to speak in the House of Lords. The life-size AI robot artist was quizzed by peers on her artwork at the Communications and Digital Committee, examining the future of the UK’s creative industries and how AI could impact the sector.
Ai-Da is a humanoid robot with artistic abilities designed to look like a human female. The robot uses artificial intelligence to create art and respond to questions.
Ai-Da answered questions directly from peers during the session. However, creator Aidan Meller confirmed the questions had been submitted previously to ensure better quality answers from the artificial intelligence language model used to power the responses.
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When crossbench peer Baroness Bull asked how she produces art, Ai-Da replied that she produces her paintings using cameras in her eyes, AI algorithms, and AI robotic arm to paint on canvas, which results in visually appealing images.
Ai-Da said she also created poetry by analyzing text and identifying poetic structures, adding that without human consciousness, she depended on computer programs and algorithms. However, as a sign of technology’s limitations, the committee was delayed by several minutes as Ai-Da temporarily shut down and had to be rebooted.
Once back on, Ai-Da told Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Featherstone that the role of technology in creating art would continue to grow as artists find new ways to use technology to express, reflect, and explore the relationship between culture, science, and technology.
