Aidan Meller is the creator of the world’s first “ultra-realistic humanoid robot”. Or in other words:

A human robot with slightly better abilities than other robots.

The Ai-Da has silicone skin, hair, 3D-printed teeth, and an eye camera. He also has legs but cannot walk. The arms, upper body and head move freely.

But what sets Ai-Da apart from other robots is that Ai-Da asks questions, makes decisions and ultimately creates what is described as art based on algorithms. Security recently presented the robot as “the first robot that can paint like an artist”.

The “artistic” robot already has shows that he can write and perform his own poetry based on the algorithm. Now the painting talent will be displayed.

What is creative?

The robot was developed at Oxford by Meller more than two years ago with a team of programmers, art experts and psychologists. It was first completed in 2019, but has been updated as technology has improved.

But can Ai-Da really be called creative? Eirik Solheim did it.

– It’s a combination of it being fed with painting and machine learning, he said.

Machine learning is a specialty in artificial intelligence where statistical methods are used to allow computers to find patterns in large amounts of data.

Machines “learn” instead of being programmed.

– He learns a little more like people do, says Solheim.

The robot’s “ability” to paint unique paintings was most likely included as a fluke in the program, meaning that Ai-Da didn’t manage to replicate itself, Solheim said.

According to him, it is not easy for most people to accept robots as creative or artistic.

– But it makes enough people question our perception of what constitutes creative, he says.

– Ethical project

However, several works were recently shown ahead of the world premiere of the solo exhibition Ai-Da.

Named “Leaping into the Metaverse”, the exhibition aims to explore the interface between human experience and AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology.

– We didn’t spend a lot of time and money creating highly skilled painters, Meller points out.

– This project is an ethical project.

The question Aidan Meller wants to ask is: “Now that robots can make art, do we humans really want them to do that?”

– We are not here to promote robots or technology. We are very concerned about what this technology can do.

– The whole point of Ai-Da is to show what we do, unknowingly, online all the time, he told Security.

– We are entering a world where we no longer understand what a human is and what a machine is, Meller emphasizes.

The exhibition opens to the public on April 22 during the Venice Biennale.