By akademiotoelektronik, 30/03/2022

How a robot artist was suspected of spying in Egypt

It took mediation to clear the British humanoid robot Ai-Da and allow it to participate, as planned, in a contemporary art exhibition being held at the Great Pyramid of Giza. The extraordinary artist had not really pleased the Egyptian security forces.

A casting error

As soon as it arrives in Egypt, the futuristic creature intrigues Egyptian customs officers. In particular, they detect cameras in the eyes and believe that it is a case of espionage or a conspiracy, as reported by The Guardian. The airport employees took no risks and seized the object deemed suspicious. Only here, it is only a robot-artist, guest star of the contemporary art exhibition Forever is now. The casting error was discovered after ten days of suspense and the intervention of the British ambassador in Cairo, according to Aidan Meller, creator of the Ai-Da robot.

eyes to draw

Named Ai-Da in homage to computer pioneer Ada Lovelace, the humanoid was presented from its creation in 2019 as the world's first artist-robot. With cameras placed in her eyes, she captures images and then uses algorithms to draw or paint. An entire program !

His latest production dedicated to the exhibition is inspired by the enigma of the Sphinx. Beyond her talent and her works, Ai-Da is supposed to spark debate on the rapid development of technology, its abuses or even the limits of artificial intelligence, as its creator Aiden Meller points out to the Guardian. .

But Ai-Da's recent misadventure in Egypt has been an opportunity for some to criticize suspicion, which has become a national art in the country where tens of thousands of people are in detention.