Automating Empathy… the movie
Bringing the topic to life
To move the needle for Responsible AI and a healthy human-machine future for all, it can’t just be about texts, presentations and papers (but see here for those!). Creative engagement is essential. We present a short, animated film about humanity’s relationship with empathic AI companions that must be created with our best interests at heart.
Please share and use this short film! – potentially for teaching, literacy initiatives, improving presentations, or wherever a short cut to understanding intimate relationships with AI is helpful.
Guided by the Lab’s academic and policy insights, the creatives had free reign, featuring Ben Bland (writer and narrator), Conor Flanagan & Maria Figueiredo (lovingly hand-crafted filmmaking, blending paper art, stop motion, time lapse and live action), and original foley & music by Steve & Dave Elton.
The creative team
Animation/Design: Conor Flanagan https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorflanagan/
Maria Figueiredo: https://www.instagram.com/papering.penguin
Script/Narration: Ben Bland https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbland
Original music and sound design: Steve Elton (https://soundcloud.com/step5) and Dave Elton (https://ursadsp.com/)
Script and show notes here: https://bit.ly/ae_film
Made by Human Hands
Despite working closely with AI, for Automating Empathy we wanted to show the “artist’s hand” to emphasise that intelligent machines are a human creation, inheriting as much of our flaws as our beauty. The film is therefore extremely handmade, from the script to the paper-based stop-motion, and the original foley and live piano.
Animating the Machine
Automating Empathy is build from a blend of visual styles, created by Belfast-based duo, Conor Flanagan and Maria Figueiredo. Both accomplished animators and VFx artists for major TV productions, they chose to mix physical and virtual environments, to bring the viewer in and out of the “mindset” of powerful new forms of AI, not just of the people who interact with them.