Body art shops in New York and Austin are offering tattoos by an AI-powered robot created by startup Blackdot, The Wall Street Journal reported. The device tattoos using a needle attached to a robot arm and computer vision that measures the recipient’s skin. It hurts less than getting a tattoo from a human artist because the needle doesn’t pierce as deeply, according to the company.
“There are people that are wondering if technology should make its way into the tattoo industry,” Blackdot founder Joel Pennington told the Journal. “But that was what happened when Gutenberg came out with a printing press, and everyone thought that books should be handwritten.”
Some artists are wary that the technology could take their jobs or devalue the artistry that goes into tattooing. Pennington said he isn’t looking to replace tattoo artists but to serve customers wanting a less painful experience or who aren’t comfortable in a traditional tattooing environment. The machine could also service those looking for the kind of artwork that tattooists don’t particularly enjoy doing, like simple lettering, in some cases.