Cairo airport security detains robot
Egyptian security forces detained robot artist Ai-Da, upon arriving at Cairo airport for 10 days, before the British embassy intervened to resolve the issue and ensure their release.
CAIRO — Egyptian security forces released a British-made robot and her creator after they were detained at customs for 10 days and investigated for possible espionage.
The ultra-realistic robot artist, named Ai-Da, was scheduled to hold her first exhibition at the foot of the pyramids in Cairo on Oct. 22. She arrived in Egypt on Oct. 10 and detained until Oct. 20, two days before the exhibit opened.
Ai-Da, the creation of English engineer Aidan Meller, is celebrated as the world's first humanoid artist who uses artificial intelligence to paint.
Meller told The Guardian before Ai-Da’s release that the border security officers were "suspicious of her modem" and then also grew concerned about the cameras in her eyes. He offered to take out the modem but drew a hard line at the cameras, saying, "I can ditch the modems, but I can't really gouge her eyes out."
