A humanoid robot artist has sparked fierce public backlash after unveiling a portrait of King Charles at the United Nations' AI for Good Summit in Geneva.
Ai-Da, described as the world's first ultra-realistic robot artist, presented "Algorithm King" at the UK Mission to the WTO and United Nations earlier this week.
The artwork immediately triggered a flood of reactions across social media platforms, with responses appearing beneath an Instagram post sharing images from the summit.
Critics expressed alarm that artificial intelligence was encroaching on human creativity, with many describing the development as disturbing.
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|A protract of King Charles painted by an AI powered robot has been met with a flood of reaction
The portrait was created using AI algorithms and a robotic arm applying oil on canvas.
Social media users expressed outrage at the robot's artistic endeavours, with one calling the piece: "Absolutely creepy."
Another claimed the work didn't "reflect any beauty" and a third branded it "complete garbage."
"AI isn't just taking over jobs, it's taking over hobbies and talents that were reserved exclusively for humans. We're beyond cooked," a fourth feared.
Others questioned the robot's humanoid appearance. "I just don't understand why they're creating these things and why are they specifically making them humanoid?" one user wrote. "It's just wrong and twisted."
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|Many respondents branded the experimental project as 'creepy' and feared for the future of art
A particularly passionate response came from a human artist who declared: "I'm sorry but AI will not be an artist ever, as a human artist this is most definitely a hill I would die on! We don't need AI to create art, humanity has become its own disease to itself!!!"
However, not all were outraged by the experimental work, with one responding: "These look really cool. Maybe I should start painting again. Very inspirational!"
Ai-Da created the portrait using cameras embedded in her eyes and advanced AI algorithms, with a robotic arm applying oil paint to canvas.
The robot previously painted Queen Elizabeth II for her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, with both royal portraits now displayed together.
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|The portraits of Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth were created with eye mounted cameras and painted with mechanical arms
Neither monarch sat for their portraits, with Ai-Da instead processing photographs to create the artworks. The robot was conceived by Aidan Meller, an Oxford gallery director, and built by Engineered Arts in Cornwall.
The artwork features bright pops of blue, green, white and crimson overlaying the monarch's likeness, with electric lines and squiggles creating a sense of flickering movement.
King Charles emerges from the abstract elements with a faint smile, blending centuries-old royal portraiture tradition with advanced robotics.
Named after Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer, Ai-Da has achieved significant milestones including speaking at the House of Lords and exhibiting at Tate Modern. In 2024, one of her paintings sold for $1 million at Sotheby's.
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|The piece was created using traditional oil painting techniques, blending the traditional with the bleeding edge
At the unveiling, Ai-Da stated: "Presenting my portrait of His Majesty King Charles III is not just a creative act, it's a statement about the evolving role of AI in our society, and to reflect on how artificial intelligence is shaping the cultural landscape."
Creator Aidan Meller emphasised that Ai-Da serves as commentary on contemporary times. "The greatest artists in history grappled with their period of time, and both celebrated and questioned society's shifts.
"Ai-Da is the perfect artist today to discuss the current developments with technology and its unfolding legacy," Meller said.
Simon Manley, Ambassador and Permanent Representative for the UK Mission in Geneva, described Ai-Da as "not just a technological marvel, she is a cultural conversation starter."