Sophia the robot has worn several hats five years since she was activated by the Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics.?
And having already established herself as an activist, a musician, and a fashionista, the humanoid robot is now a digital artist looking to cash in to the internet's latest hysteria: NFT.?
Reuters reported that each of Sophia¡¯s artwork will be linked to an NFT and will be up for auction early Wednesday (4.30AM IST) on the digital art marketplace Nifty Gateway. This will be the world¡¯s first sale of such pieces created jointly with artificial intelligence (AI).
NFT is a digital signature authenticated by blockchain that certifies the ownership and originality of items. It has become the latest investment craze, with one digital artwork--a collage of 5,000 individual images by Beeple--selling for nearly $70 million earlier this month.?
"I hope the people like my work, and the humans and I can collaborate in new and exciting ways going forward," said Sophia, who could be seen wearing a silver-coloured dress and holding a pencil in her hand.
On March 15, Hanson Robotics had announced that the humanoid robot had collaborated with artist Andrea Bonaceto--known for colourful portraits--on several digital artworks.?
¡°We use transformer networks and genetic algorithms in my art, and other kinds of computational creativity,¡± Sophia added. ¡°My algorithms output unique patterns that never existed in the world before. So I think the machines can be creative.¡±
The first piece that will be up for auction is called ¡°Sophia Instantiation¡± and comes in the form of a 12-second MP4 file that shows the evolution of Bonaceto¡¯s portrait into Sophia¡¯s digital painting. It will also be accompanied by a physical artwork, painted by Sophia on a printout of her self-portrait.?
What do you think about the rise of NFT art auctions and Sophia's newfound ability as a digital artist? Let us know in the comments section below...