Stuart Jeffries

The world’s first robot artist discusses beauty, Yoko Ono and the perils of AI

Stuart Jeffries finds Ai-Da, the first self-portraitist without a self, a frustrating interviewee – though no more so than Matt Hancock

The first self-portraitist without a self: Ai-Da poses with her latest painting. 
issue 29 May 2021

Like a slippery politician on the Today programme, the world’s first robot artist answers the questions she wants rather than the ones she’s been asked. I never had this trouble with Tracey Emin or Maggi Hambling.

As we stand before a display of her paintings at London’s Design Museum, I ask Ai-Da whether she thinks her self-portraits are beautiful.

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