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🐹 AI Animal Zoo Opens in Germany
The ZKM Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany, has announced the opening of the Electronic Petting Zoo — the world’s first interactive zoo where the “animals” are not real, but AI-controlled robotic guinea pigs.
The zoo is home to 10 robots, each equipped with an AI agent featuring its own unique personality and communication style.
The format resembles popular pet cafés: visitors can chat with the robots, pet them, pick them up, and hug them.
The creators say the zoo’s mission is to help people understand that “robots will never replace something living, sincere, and real.”
The project aims to encourage visitors, amid the growing trend of AI pets, to reflect on questions such as:
❓ Can machines replace social interaction?
❓ Can they provide companionship, for example in nursing homes?
❓ What distinguishes real life from programmed behavior?
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