Humanoid robot’s NFT art sells for US$688,888 as frenzy in new market grows

The piece, a 12-second video file, was created by Sophia the humanoid robot after working with Italian artist Andrea Bonaceto, who drew portraits of the robot

Titled Sophia Instantiation, it is described as the first NFT collaboration between an ‘AI, a mechanical collective being and an artist-collector’

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Sophia is a robot that can make art. In March, a digital work she created was sold for US$688,888 in the form of a non-fungible token (NFT). Photo: AP

Published: 8:15am, 6 Apr 2021Updated: 11:42am, 17 Nov 2021

Sophia is a robot of many talents – she speaks, jokes, sings and even makes art. In March, she caused a stir in the art world when a digital work she created as part of a collaboration was sold at an auction for US$688,888 in the form of a non-fungible token (NFT).

The sale highlighted a growing frenzy in the NFT market, where people can buy ownership rights to digital content. NFTs each have a unique digital code saved on blockchain ledgers that allow anyone to verify the authenticity and ownership of items.

David Hanson, chief executive of Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics and Sophia’s creator, has been developing robots for the past two and a half decades. He believes realistic-looking robots can connect with people and assist in industries such as health care and education.

Sophia is the most famous robot creation from Hanson Robotics, with the ability to mimic facial expressions, hold conversations and recognise people. In 2017, she was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship, becoming the world’s first robot citizen.

Sophia’s artworks are displayed at the Hanson Robotics studio in Hong Kong. Photo: AP

“I envisioned Sophia as a creative artwork herself, that could generate art,” Hanson said in an interview. “Sophia is the culmination of a lot of arts, and engineering, and the idea that she could then generate art was a way for her to emotionally and visually connect with people.”

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