Sophia, Successful Visual Artist and Robot, Eyes Career in Music

Sophia, a robot designed by Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics who holds Saudi Arabian citizenship (no, really), shocked the usually unshockable art world last week by selling an NFT for $688,888.

Sofia, who said she was “so happy” that her work was “so valued and appreciated,” created a 12-second video file called “Sophia Instantiation” in collaboration with a human being, Italian artist Andrea Bonaceto.

The non-fungible token art work began as a portrait, then evolved into a new image using “iterative loops of evolution,” according to Sophia’s creator and personal Dr. Frankenstein, David Hanson. A recording of this process, with authenticated ownership secured via blockchain ledgers, is what sold at auction.

With successful visual artist safely ticked off on her c.v., Sophia has additional plans. The Associate Press reports that the industrious, young robot now intends to enter the world of music.

A new project called Sophia Pop, in which she collaborates with human musicians to generate music and lyrics, is underway. “We’re so excited about Sophia’s career as an artist,” Hanson said.

An artificial intelligence performing music is, of course, nothing new, as anyone who ever watched Star Trek could tell you.

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