Ai-Da, a robot-artist

June, 2019. Oxford. More info

"AI algorithms have been developed by Salaheldin Al Abd and Ziad Abass, based in Leeds, to create human drawing style. The method involves pixel coordinates which are turned into real space coordinates. Her artificial arm was also designed by Salaheldin and Ziad, and made by engineering manager Adam Meller. Through this arm, the drawing algorithm outputs become a physical reality.

"Coordinates from Ai-Da's drawings (see above) were given to AI researcher Aidan Gomez, from the University of Oxford, who has created for Ai-Da some AI algorithms that produce abstract artworks. These artworks are based on the neural network readings of the Cartesian plane. Ai-Da’s drawing coordinates are plotted on to the Cartesian plane, and then run through the AI algorithms. Since neural networks read the Cartesian plane quite differently to humans, the outputs are unexpected.