Latest news with #EngineeredArts
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
AI robot 'drills into biggest concerns of our time', Oxford creator says
The creator of the first ultra-realistic robot artist has said that working with a robot has evoked "lots of questions about the relationship we have with ourselves".The artificial intelligence (AI) robot Ai-Da has been devised in Oxford by Aidan Meller, a specialist in modern and contemporary art, and built in the UK by Engineered has been specifically designed as a humanoid to be able to do art and has recently unveiled a portrait of King Charles Meller said Ai-Da and her artwork "drills into some of the biggest concerns and thoughts of our time". Ai-Da has cameras in her eyes, which she uses to take thanks to AI algorithms, she is able to interrogate the image which goes through to her arm to be converted into real-time coordinates - that enables her to hold a paintbrush to paint and draw."You can meet her, you can talk to her using her language model and she's then able to paint and draw you from sight," Mr Meller said."People have got very much 1950s robots in their head - the reality is that actually they're very engaging."It's not until you look a robot in the eye and they say your name that the reality of this new sci-fi world that we are now currently in really takes hold." Ai-Da has been asked to produce and showcase work at the United Nations' AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, 2024, she did a triptych of Enigma code-breaking mathematician Alan Turing, which was sold for more than £1m at an year, she turned her focus onto King Charles III."With extraordinary strides that are taking place in technology and again, always questioning our relationship to the environment, we felt that King Charles was a really good subject," Mr Meller said that even though Ai-Da had not met the King, Buckingham Palace had authorized permission for the artwork to be asked how she chooses her subjects, Mr Meller said: "Uncannily, and rather nerve-wrackingly, we just ask her". "Ai-Da is connected to the internet [and] she's able to speak at length about different people because she has a great deal of data to hand. "It was through those conversations that the artwork is then able to be done."Ai-Da also painted a picture King Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II in 2023. Mr Meller said the biggest realisation from the six years working with Ai-Da was "not so much about how human she is but actually how robotic we are"."Working with a robot is throwing up lots of questions about the relationship we have actually with ourselves," he said."We hope that Ai-Da's artwork is able to be a provocation to have that discussion." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Digital Trends
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
Humanoid robot paints remarkable portrait of British monarch
Painting a portrait of a British monarch is a coveted honor, with the tradition stretching back more than six centuries. And while that custom looks set to continue, there's a whiff of change in the air after a humanoid robot artist called Ai-Da created an impressive portrait of King Charles III. Recommended Videos Ai-Da created the artwork, called 'Algorithm King,' by skillfully painting with oil colors using her robotic arm. King Charles didn't sit for the portrait, with Ai-Da instead using photos of the monarch, as well as AI smarts, to produce the artwork. The painting was unveiled this week as part of the AI For Good Summit hosted by the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The Ai-Da humanoid robot — created by gallery director Aidan Meller, the robotics company Engineered Arts, and academics from the University of Oxford and the University of Leeds — was first shown off in 2019. Besides painting, she can also speak and have natural conversations. Walking is not currently a part of her feature set, however, so she has to be physically placed before a canvas before she can begin painting. 'It's a privilege to be part of this remarkable event at the United Nations, surrounded by those shaping the future of technology and culture,' Ai-Da said in comments reported by Sky News. '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 intersection of art and AI is indeed an increasingly controversial topic, and Ai-Da's latest effort is only going to increase the chatter around the issue. While artists are understandably upset about tech firms scraping their work to train AI models, Ai-Da appears to fall into a gray area in the sense that while it processed photos of King Charles to create its portrait, it doesn't appear that it included any bulk training of a general-purpose AI, similar to how AI giants like OpenAI and Google operate. Still, some will wonder about whether the photographers gave permission for Ai-Da to used their images, and if they did so, whether they were compensated in any way. We've reached out to Ai-Da's team and will update this article if we hear back. Ai-Da certainly appears to blur the line between human and machine creativity, and poses yet more questions about the nature of artistic expression and authorship. In 2020, Digital Trends chatted with Aidan Meller about his intriguing creation, including the moment that inspired him to get started with Ai-Da.
Sky News
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
The King and AI: A humanoid robot has painted a picture of Charles. How did it do?
Whether or not the UK will have a Royal Family in the future is something that often comes up in debate. If we do, the latest evidence suggests there will be no lack of artists around to paint them. A new portrait titled "Algorithm King" has perhaps offered a glimpse of how members of the Royal Family may be painted in the decades or even centuries ahead - after it was created by a female "robot artist" named Ai-Da. The artistic humanoid used advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and a robot arm using on oil canvas to create the painting of King Charles. Ai-Da, the first robot to ever paint the monarch, also used the cameras in her eyes to help create her machine-made masterpiece. The robot previously painted a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate the monarch's Platinum Jubilee in 2022. The two portraits, which the monarchs didn't sit for, were exhibited together at an unveiling of the portrait of King Charles as part of the AI For Good Summit hosted by the United Nations in Geneva. Ai-Da, described as being the world's first "ultra-realistic robot artist", was created by UK art dealer Aidan Meller and built in Cornwall by Engineered Arts. She uses advanced AI language modelling to enable her to have a conversation with humans. Speaking at the UN, Ai-Da said: "It's a privilege to be part of this remarkable event at the United Nations, surrounded by those shaping the future of technology and culture. 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." Simon Manley, ambassador and permanent representative to the World Trade Organisation and UN in Geneva, said at the unveiling of the portrait: "Ai-Da is not just a technological marvel, she is a cultural conversation starter. We are proud to showcase British innovation at its most imaginative, and to reflect on how emerging technologies can shape global dialogues on art, ethics and identity." Ai-Da - named after the first computer programmer Ada Lovelace - has spoken at the House of Lords, Number 10 Downing Street and at the UN. Her artwork has been exhibited all over the world from the Tate Modern, V&A, Somerset House and the Design Museum in Britain to the Pyramids in Egypt and the Venice Biennale. She made history in 2024 when a painting by her sold at Sotheby's for $1m. Mr Meller said: "The greatest artists in history grappled with their period of time, and both celebrated and questioned society's shifts. Ai-Da Robot as technology, is the perfect artist today to discuss the current developments with technology and its unfolding legacy."
Glasgow Times
12-07-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
No limit to ChatGPT searches ‘remarkable' given environmental impact
Shielded from the midday blazing heat and the roar of motor cars in a darkened tent, Future Lab displayed technologies, robotics and virtual realities to excite the imaginations of festival goers in Chichester on Saturday. Among the displays was a humanoid robot, with moving, re-active facial features powered by ChatGPT responses, creators call it Ameca. The Ameca robot built by Cornwall based robotics company Engineered Arts on display in Future Lab at the Festival of Speed, Chichester. (PA/Stanley Murphy-Johns) Major Peake, the first British man to visit the International Space Station, has worked with Future Lab since its first iteration in 2017. Despite his excitement about the new technologies and possible uses of artificial intelligence (AI), he acknowledged the environmental impact of data centres used to run them. He told the PA news agency: 'There is no limit to how much they can use ChatGPT, they can be streaming cat videos and making avatars and doing what they want with no – no concern of how much energy that is using and how much water is using to cool. 'It's limitless, and it shouldn't be. Every single google search is having an impact, and an AI google search is a 30% increase in energy to function than a standard Google search and you don't even get the choice now.' Tech companies have hugely increased their water consumption needs for cooling data centres in recent years, according to The Times, writing one 100 word email using the (GP-4) version of the chatbot is equivalent to a 500ml water bottle. 'Maybe that's what we need next to the google search box – 'please search responsibly',' the former astronaut added. Business Energy UK has estimated that ChatGPT may presently use around 39.98 Million kWh per day — enough to charge eight million phones. Major Peake was quick to argue that the answers lie in space, using 'orbital data centres', he added that he was working with a company, Axium Space, who were set to launch two nodes later this year. He explained: 'The idea being that by the mid-2030s you have cost-parity between choosing an Orbital data centre vs a cloud server – you know, a database that would be here on earth. 'Because in space you've got clean, free limitless energy and you've got limitless ability to have thermal rejection into the vacuum of space with no impact on the environment.' Critics of this approach, such as Dr Domenico Vicinanza – associate professor of intelligent systems and data science at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, say it may not be that simple. 'Space-based data centres would require not only the data equipment but also the infrastructure to protect, power, and cool them. All of which add up in weight and complexity,' Dr Vicinanza told the BBC. Asked about space and the environment, Major Peake said: 'It might not hold all the answers but it holds many answers and it forms a large percentage of the solution I think. 'In terms of right now, more than 50% of our climate data is coming from space so it's the finger on the pulse of the planet.' The displays at Future Lab presented a window into the cutting edge of science, mapping deep space, exploring the depths of the ocean, and the latest AI and robotics. The CEO of the National Robotarium, Stuart Miller, said the event 'helped people understand what's coming' and added that they wanted to ask how robots and humans can 'live in harmony together'. Ameca, the humanoid robot created by Cornwall-based company Engineered Arts, was the star attraction for many – able to hold and double back to parts of a conversation and answer questions quickly. Major Peake said: 'Her non-verbal responses really surprised me, and then you realise that's AI's interpretation of human interaction as well so it's not just the verbal responses you're getting, you're getting the AI response in terms of non-verbal skills.' Surrounded by cars, in a corner of a field in Chichester, some of the UK's newest scientific innovations piqued the interest of the crowds, but Major Peake acknowledged there has to be 'a balance' in how much AI should do, and considered whether it erodes human curiosity. 'There is absolutely a balance and that's why it's important to educate people that AI's just a tool – a tool for humans to use.' he said. Later asking: 'Does ChatGPT, does AI just make it too easy for us? Does it just give it to us rather than making us work for it? And how much pleasure is there in actually finding something out rather than just reading and learning something?'
The Herald Scotland
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
No limit to ChatGPT searches ‘remarkable' given environmental impact
Among the displays was a humanoid robot, with moving, re-active facial features powered by ChatGPT responses, creators call it Ameca. The Ameca robot built by Cornwall based robotics company Engineered Arts on display in Future Lab at the Festival of Speed, Chichester. (PA/Stanley Murphy-Johns) Major Peake, the first British man to visit the International Space Station, has worked with Future Lab since its first iteration in 2017. Despite his excitement about the new technologies and possible uses of artificial intelligence (AI), he acknowledged the environmental impact of data centres used to run them. He told the PA news agency: 'There is no limit to how much they can use ChatGPT, they can be streaming cat videos and making avatars and doing what they want with no – no concern of how much energy that is using and how much water is using to cool. 'It's limitless, and it shouldn't be. Every single google search is having an impact, and an AI google search is a 30% increase in energy to function than a standard Google search and you don't even get the choice now.' Tech companies have hugely increased their water consumption needs for cooling data centres in recent years, according to The Times, writing one 100 word email using the (GP-4) version of the chatbot is equivalent to a 500ml water bottle. 'Maybe that's what we need next to the google search box – 'please search responsibly',' the former astronaut added. Business Energy UK has estimated that ChatGPT may presently use around 39.98 Million kWh per day — enough to charge eight million phones. Major Peake was quick to argue that the answers lie in space, using 'orbital data centres', he added that he was working with a company, Axium Space, who were set to launch two nodes later this year. He explained: 'The idea being that by the mid-2030s you have cost-parity between choosing an Orbital data centre vs a cloud server – you know, a database that would be here on earth. 'Because in space you've got clean, free limitless energy and you've got limitless ability to have thermal rejection into the vacuum of space with no impact on the environment.' Critics of this approach, such as Dr Domenico Vicinanza – associate professor of intelligent systems and data science at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, say it may not be that simple. 'Space-based data centres would require not only the data equipment but also the infrastructure to protect, power, and cool them. All of which add up in weight and complexity,' Dr Vicinanza told the BBC. Asked about space and the environment, Major Peake said: 'It might not hold all the answers but it holds many answers and it forms a large percentage of the solution I think. 'In terms of right now, more than 50% of our climate data is coming from space so it's the finger on the pulse of the planet.' The displays at Future Lab presented a window into the cutting edge of science, mapping deep space, exploring the depths of the ocean, and the latest AI and robotics. The CEO of the National Robotarium, Stuart Miller, said the event 'helped people understand what's coming' and added that they wanted to ask how robots and humans can 'live in harmony together'. Ameca, the humanoid robot created by Cornwall-based company Engineered Arts, was the star attraction for many – able to hold and double back to parts of a conversation and answer questions quickly. Major Peake said: 'Her non-verbal responses really surprised me, and then you realise that's AI's interpretation of human interaction as well so it's not just the verbal responses you're getting, you're getting the AI response in terms of non-verbal skills.' Surrounded by cars, in a corner of a field in Chichester, some of the UK's newest scientific innovations piqued the interest of the crowds, but Major Peake acknowledged there has to be 'a balance' in how much AI should do, and considered whether it erodes human curiosity. 'There is absolutely a balance and that's why it's important to educate people that AI's just a tool – a tool for humans to use.' he said. Later asking: 'Does ChatGPT, does AI just make it too easy for us? Does it just give it to us rather than making us work for it? And how much pleasure is there in actually finding something out rather than just reading and learning something?'
