Ai-Da Robot, an AI-powered humanoid robot artist, has painted a new portrait of King Charles III. The work, titled Algorithm King, was revealed in Geneva during the 2025 AI for Good Summit at the U.K. Mission to the World Trade Organization and United Nations.
Ai-Da Robot, named after the 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace, was devised by British gallerist Aidan Meller in 2019. Built in Cornwall by Engineered Arts and programmed in collaboration with researchers at the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham, the robot is the first ultra-realistic humanoid robot artist. It can produce oil paintings with its robotic arms and engage in conversation through an advanced language model.
“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,” the robot said in a speech at the UN summit.
In 2022, Ai-Da painted the late Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, which marked the 70th anniversary of the monarch’s reign. That work, titled Algorithm Queen, was exhibited alongside the King Charles portrait in Geneva.
The new portrait is the latest royal portrait to gain public attention following a string of recent commissions. This May, King Charles III and Queen Camilla unveiled official coronation portraits by longtime royal collaborators Peter Kuhfeld and Paul Benney. These were released shortly after Jonathan Yeo’s fiery red 2024 painting of the king sparked debate for its bold color palette, with many critics linking the red to imagery of fire or blood.
In 2024, Ai-Da became the first humanoid robot to sell a work at auction when its painting of Alan Turing sold at Sotheby’s New York for $1.08 million. Titled AI God. Portrait of Alan Turing (2024), the work attracted 27 bidders and landed well above its presale estimate of $120,000–$180,000.
Ai-Da’s work has also appeared at institutions including the Design Museum, Tate Modern, and the Venice Biennale, and it has spoken at the House of Lords and the United Nations.
Credit: Source link
