Artificial Intelligence - by David Biedrzycki (Hardcover)

About the Book

Robot works in a warehouse, but he keeps making mistakes, so they kick him out--and in the big city he discovers what he was missing: art.

Book Synopsis

Ever since he was a little chip, Robot knew he was ART-ificially different.

A funny and heartfelt picture book exploring AI, art, and creativity.

Try as he might, Robot can't keep up with the other robots at the warehouse. But when he's sent off for reprogramming, he takes a wrong turn and ends up encountering music, dancing, and ART! He tries to share his discovery, only to find that art is hard to explain--and even harder to do. Will Robot learn to express himself and transform the warehouse . . . or will he be recycled?

Review Quotes

A misfit robot finds his métier--and his bliss--at an art museum.
Ever since a paint-speckled chip was inserted into his head at the assembly factory, Robot has known he was different from the other automatons who work at the warehouse. Abstract washes of color fill his dreams at night--a welcome contrast from his monochromatic world--and he often daydreams, which leads to a wrong turn when he's sent for reprogramming by a disapproving supervisor. Stumbling out of the warehouse for the first time, he's struck by the vivid colors. When he wanders into an art museum, his creative spirit is unleashed--with some tech support from a painting course CD-ROM he inserts into his drive. The result is exuberant, expressionistic explosions of color brushed onto walls inside and outside, all over the city. "It was big, colorful, and grand. Just like his dreams," the author concludes, rounding off his AI epiphany with perhaps-prescient images of the metal artist taking a bow before his solo show at the art museum, followed by images of robots in an array of roles from chef and country singer to filmmaker and beat dancer. Young readers with unformed creative urges of their own will relate to Robot's feeling of otherness and may take heart in seeing how he finds his way. The robots come in many shapes; Biedrzycki goes retro for his depiction of Robot. Human characters are racially diverse.
A celebration of the artistic spirit, overlaid with wry topicality.
--Kirkus Reviews


How important is it to be unique? Is creativity important in this day of A.I. where things can be computer generated? This book explores the idea of being unique and different and the importance of being oneself. The main character in the book, Robot, is extremely different! As a robot, Robot is expected to work hard and get his job completed. However, he has a tendency to daydream so he is sent off to be reprogrammed. He takes a wrong turn and is introduced to creativity. Art, music and dancing come alive as his dreams slowly unfold. He "comes alive" as he becomes an artist. The author/illustrator captures the story in bright and vivid pictures while not only entertaining the young reader but teaching the young reader the importance of creativity. As AI is introduced into our society, it is imperative to continue to support the creativity of the younger generation and this special book helps to foster this idea.
--Children's Literature

About the Author

David Biedrzycki is the author and illustrator of Invasion of the Unicorns, SumoPuppy, SumoKitty, and Groundhog's Runaway Shadow, as well as the Breaking News series; the Me and My Dragon series; and the Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective series. He has also illustrated many picture books, including The Beetle Alphabet Book and Dory Story.