Artificial intelligence culture: The gallery: When is the art the artist?

Abstract

For the first time in their 4,500-year history, the Egyptian Pyramids have hosted an art exhibition. Forever Is Now, which ran until early November 2021 and featured an international cast of artists, one of which was Ai-Da – a British humanoid AI robot named in tribute to the genius mathematician Ada Lovelace. Ai-Da’s drawing arm and her drawing AI algorithms were designed by Egyptians Salaheldin Al Abd and Ziad Abass. These algorithms allow analysis of the subject Ai-Da is looking at and use the resulting data set to create the movements required for the drawing arm. Her repertoire has extended to performance art and clay modelling. But who is the artist? Is it Ai-Da or the people who created her?