In this Lunchtime Talk, ALife researchers Itsuki Doi (Senior Researcher at Alternative Machine, Inc.) and Takahide Yoshida (PhD student) will present their latest scientific research and art projects utilising ALife.

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) research has made significant advancements. However, there are still many elements that remain lacking, such as autonomy, embodiment, evolvability, and sustainability. These are characteristics typically seen in life.

The Takashi Ikegami lab at the University of Tokyo researches artificial life (ALife) from this perspective. This is a field of study that look to understanding principles of all life phenomena and aim to redefine life by creating it in computational systems.

One of the key projects is the humanoid robot Alter3, which has been under development since 2016. By combining Alter3 with large language models (LLMs), Alter3 can autonomously perform a diverse range of actions. Additionally, Itsuki and Takahide will present an art project conducted at Alternative Machine Inc.

About the Pervasive Media Studio

The Pervasive Media Studio is a partnership between Watershed, University of the West of England and University of Bristol. Lunchtime Talks are partly supported by MyWorld, a project led by the University of Bristol to support creative industries in the region.