While virtual reality (VR) maybe a buzz word across the world at the moment when it comes to technology, interest in artificial intelligence (AI) has come in waves. Whether through global companies making notable progress in AI research, or the latest blockbuster movie highlighting the possible ramifications of its creation. Filmmaker Noah Wagner and writer Michael Koehler now want to bring the not too dissimilar worlds of VR and AI together in a new project called Watch Room.
Watch Room centres around three friends and scientists, Nate, Bernard and Chloe. They’ve created KATE, a self-aware AI, that for all intents and purposes has been made to behave as human-like as possible. The scientists contain KATE within a computer programme that can be interfaced with using VR.
One day the AI fails an experiment which leads Bernard and Chloe to contemplate shutting KATE down and starting again. But no AI wants to be shut down and KATE decides she wants to be let out, into the world. And to do this she begins to manipulate the scientists.
The team behind Watch Tower are looking to raise $45,000 USD through their Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign. The project launched a week ago and has so far raised $3,490 with 23 days left to go. There are a bunch of different reward tiers for backers choose from, starting at $1 just to help the campaign along, all the way up to $5000 for Executive Producer credit plus some extra goodies.
The timeline for work to commence will be fast paced. The script has been finalised and the plan is to begin shooting principle photography once funding has been completed. There’ll be two main locations where Watch Room will take place, in a garage which the scientists use to work, and Point Bonita Lighthouse which will serve as the main location for the simulation scenes.
If all goes to plan filming will be done over 5 days in September, with the intention to premiere at film festivals in the Spring of 2017.
As Watch Room’s Kickstarter progresses VRFocus will report back with any new details.
