The Loft features lectures, exhibits and technologies that explore the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The sessions and experiences available in the Loft allow participants to learn through distinct modes of interaction, from experiential installations to expert talks and engaging debates.

Special Exhibition in The Loft:

Benevolent Machine

Technology is getting better at observing, interpreting and mimicking human behaviour. Algorithms help individuals, companies and governments comprehend big data and enhance decision-making. But are we confident that technology will always be benevolent? Where is the boundary between caring and controlling? How do we politely ask our intelligent machines for a bit of privacy?

Benevolent Machine aims to bring a poetic and provocative perspective to the urgent debates on better technology governance arising with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Partial List of Installations:

• The humanoid robot Sophia, from Hanson Robotics who takes on more and more human expressions with each interaction
• Artist Patrick Tresset’s 3RNP, or “3 Robots Named Paul”, a theatrical robotic installation by artist Patrick Tresset, where the human becomes a model and robots challenge the vision we have of ourselves
• Walden, A Game, by video-game maker Tracy Fullerton, in which reflection and insight play an important role as users become Henry David Thoreau, maintaining the basic aspects of life at Walden Pond
• The short video Hyper-Reality by designer and filmmaker Keiichi Matsuda, presenting a world where reality and augmented reality are intertwined in a future one may or may not want to imagine
• The Dubai Future Foundation’s Moral Machine, a speculative immersive installation where participants are confronted with a possible future where a supercomputer has quantified, analysed and optimized anything that can be…including ethical dilemmas

The Benevolent Machine exhibition is made possible thanks to the partnerships of several collaborators, including Tracy Fullerton, Brian Bilston, Keiichi Matsuda, Patrick Tresset, Kenichi Okada, Naoaki Fujimoto, Hanson Robotics, Emotiv, the Wellcome Trust, Science Gallery International and the Dubai Future Foundation.