How a robot artist was suspected of spying in Egypt

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

A casting error

Upon his arrival in Egypt, the futuristic creature intrigued Egyptian customs officials. They notably detect cameras in the eyes and believe it to be a case of espionage or a conspiracy, as reported The Guardian. Airport employees take no risk and seize the object considered suspicious. But here it is, he is only a robot-artist, guest star of the contemporary art exhibition Forever is now. The casting error is discovered after ten days of suspense and the intervention of the British ambassador in Cairo, according to Aidan Meller, creator of the robot Ai-Da.

“I can’t tear her eyes out. (…) She’s a robot artist, let’s be very clear about that. She’s not a spy”

Aidan Meller, designer of the robot-artist

at the Guardian

Eyes for drawing

Named Ai-Da in homage to the pioneer of computer science Ada Lovelace, the humanoid was presented from its creation in 2019 as the first artist-robot in the world. 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 his talent and his works, Ai-Da is supposed to spark debate on the rapid growth of technology, its abuses or even the limits of artificial intelligence, as its creator Aiden Meller underlines in Guardian.

But Ai-Da’s recent mishap 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.