King Charles has been the subject of countless artistic tributes, but on July 8, he inspired a rather unexpected creator—a humanoid robot.
At the United Nations’ AI for Good Summit in Geneva, Ai-Da, a hyper-realistic robot artist, unveiled a vivid portrait of the monarch. The work, crafted entirely without human touch, spread quickly online.
While some royal enthusiasts admired the haunting quality, others called it “creepy” and devoid of soul. There were also concerns that AI could threaten the talent and effort of human artists.
The Algorithm King
Ai-Da’s oil painting, titled The Algorithm King, commemorates Charles’s first official year as monarch. Splashes of blue, green, white, and crimson ripple across the canvas, intersected by electric lines and squiggles that give a sense of flickering movement.
As GB News reported, the robot produced the portrait using cameras in her eyes and complex AI algorithms, while her robotic arm applied the oil paint. Her arms can be switched out depending on the type of art required.
Ai-Da previously painted Queen Elizabeth II for her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, and now both royal portraits—of mother and son—are displayed together. Neither the late Queen nor King Charles posed for their paintings; instead, Ai-Da relied on photographs to create them.
Mixed Reactions from the Public
Once Ai-Da’s eccentric depiction of the King appeared on Instagram, the feedback was swift and divided. “Robots should do the hard labor jobs, leave the art for humans,” one royal fan commented.
