Created by: Blast Theory From: Brighton, United Kingdom

About Cat Royale

Hang out with three cats as they live in Utopia and are treated like royalty. Watch in real-time as the cats explore their world. And decide for yourself what they think of Artificial Intelligence.

Cat Royale is a new artwork by UK-based Blast Theory that explores how Artificial Intelligence will affect us all.

In this world premiere of Cat Royale, three cats live in a visually stunning utopian environment, which will be streamed to Curiocity Brisbane from the UK. As the cats go about their day, eating, playing and exploring, a dedicated Artificial Intelligence system watches them, learns what they like best, and controls a robot arm that offers a massage, throws a ball or dangles a feather to increase the happiness of the cats.

Cat Royale asks: How intelligent are these systems? Can a computer make us happier? And should it even try?

Daily summaries and highlights

About the Creators

Founded in 1991, internationally renowned Blast Theory are based in Brighton in the UK. They make interactive art that places the public at the centre of unusual and sometimes unsettling experiences, to create new perspectives and open up the possibility of change.

Led by Matt Adams, Ju Row Farr and Nick Tandavanitj, Blast Theory have shown work at the Venice Biennale, Tribeca Film Festival, ICC in Tokyo, Hebbel am Ufer in Berlin and Tate Britain. Commissioners include Channel 4, Sundance Film Festival and the Royal Opera House.

The artists have collaborated with the University of Nottingham since 1997, co-authoring over 45 research papers. They have given lectures at the Sorbonne, Stanford University and the Royal College of Art. Blast Theory have been nominated for four BAFTAs and won the Golden Nica at Prix Ars Electronica and the Nam June Paik Art Center Award.

More Information

To ensure the comfort and safety of the cats, experts in animal welfare have been involved in the design of the project from the start and are guiding the project throughout all phases of Cat Royale. Please see Blast Theory’s “frequently asked questions” for more detail about the wellbeing of the Cat Royale cats, or read the Cat Royale Q&A with Blast Theory blog.

Cat Royale is made possible by the Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) Hub and is a collaboration with the Mixed Reality Lab at the University of Nottingham. Blast Theory are Cultural Ambassadors for the TAS Hub. The TAS Hub is a collaborative research team from the Universities of Southampton, Nottingham and King’s College London. The Hub sits at the centre of the £33m Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Programme, funded by the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund.

Cat Royale has received ethics approval from the University of Nottingham’s Animal Welfare & Ethical Review Body. The project is being made in consultation with an animal behaviourist and with guidance from the RSPCA.

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