Move over, Picasso: The bots are painting now

The rules of art are being rewritten, not by painters or poets, but by algorithms. Artificial intelligence has begun to claim its space in the creative world, from Oxford’s humanoid artist Ai-Da selling a $1 million portrait to startups composing songs with quantum-powered AI.

As artists, writers, and musicians debate whether to resist or collaborate with their digital counterparts, one truth stands out, the definition of creativity is expanding. While some see AI as a threat to human imagination, others view it as a powerful collaborator, a tool that can amplify, democratize, and even redefine what it means to create.

Last year, Oxford-made humanoid artist Ai-Da made history selling a portrait of Alan Turing for US$1M.

“The key value of my work is its capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies,” was the bot’s message.

When asked if it painted from imagination, Ai-Da ...