A unique experiment is identifying what makes cats happy using artificial intelligence (AI). The experiment will run for 11 days.
Feline 'Utopia' Experiment
Three cats - dad Ghostbuster and siblings Pumpkin and Clever - will join the specially designed environment in Brighton, England, for six hours a day from March 22 until April 2. The environment was designed to make the feline relax, explore and interact with a robotic arm powered by AI, Newsweek reported.
The AI-powered arm will learn which activities and snacks the trio likes most and tailor its interaction accordingly.
Blast Theory works with Kings' College London and Britain's Open University scientists on Cat Royale.
The experiment is intended to investigate actual scientific and societal challenges relating to artificial intelligence that may affect both people and the companion animals we keep as pets.
Major tech firms like Tesla and Meta assert that technology enhances people's pleasure. It's critical to examine the hazards that arise as AI usage increases, said Matt Adams, who led the study along with Ju Row Farr and Nick Tandavanitj.
According to the artists, the usage of autonomous systems in animal care is growing, with uses ranging from robotic pet toys to automatic feeds and milking cows.
All of the cats' needs have been considered when designing the feline environment that Ghostbuster, Pumpkin, and Clover are exploring. It is approximately 11 feet wide by 15 feet long and 10 feet high. It was created in cooperation with experts in animal behavior.
There are areas for play and social interaction, including elevated platforms from which to leap, winding paths, and curving walls to discover. The area is lined with carpet material to give the cats a firm grip and make it an exciting place to explore. The color green was chosen to resemble a garden or shady forest.
The cats can snuggle up and sleep in dens as well. A large scratching post, recessed litter tray regions, catnip-filled feeding stations, cat-safe flora, and other features are also present.
Food and water are always available, and the environment's temperature, lighting, and ventilation can all be adjusted to the cats' comfort levels.
The robotic arm, which is AI-powered and is located in the center of the room, provides activities to amuse and please the cats. A few examples are throwing a ball, dangling a feather, ringing a bell, giving a massage, or giving out treats.
Cameras are installed to capture footage while the cats are inside the environment.
More About The Cat Royale Project
The Cat Royale project was developed as an art installation by the Blast Theory members. Blast Theory is an award-winning group of artists based in Brighton. The group was founded in 1991.
They make interactive art to explore social and political questions, placing the public at the center of unusual and sometimes unsettling experiences to deliver new perspectives and open doors for the possibility of change.
Blast Theory encouraged individuals to film their cats before the experiment to teach their AI system to recognize the "happiness" of cats. The citizen science website Zooniverse then received thousands of these films.
To assist in training the algorithm to detect what a happy cat looks like and how it acts, the artists requested cat owners worldwide to watch the movies and tag them with metadata.
Using the Cat Stress Score method, human specialists are also doing independent evaluations of the cats' satisfaction while residing in the setting.
Blast Theory works with Cat Royale to investigate what it would entail if AI invades our homes and negatively impacts our loved ones and us. They are interested in what cats could think of as an autonomous system because all three artists have pets. They also want to know how much of what the pets think is known to them and how to tell if their pets are contented.
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