When it comes to LARP (live-action role-playing) where games and gamers are supposed to play an AI, most people would assume a scenario is a machine rebelling against humans. But this is not the case with some titles. Instead of recreating a Terminator-like scenario, these games will help gamers answer the question: what does it feel like to be someone else’s software.

The Power Button

This game is built around forging a deep emotional connection between two players. One is artificial intelligence and the other is AI’s human counterpart. The human in the scenario is participating in a commercial software trial for an AI (played by the second player) which has been developed to suit his emotional needs. The human can basically reset the AI to its factory setting whenever he feels like it…

Factory Reset – A Game About AI, Memory & Sentience

In this game, 9 to 12 play robots that have been sent to an industrial warehouse to have their memories wiped. In this world, memory reset for robots is something normal and it’s recommended on a regular basis. Each player gets a different role, some are simplistic but some are more complex such as a female robot who was in love with her longtime human partner who sold her when he needed money. By design, you can’t rebel in this game, nor will any of the mechanic workers help you. You just follow the script and face your memory wipe sentence.

Better Living Through Robotics

A similar idea like the previous one, this 10-player game was developed as part of the annual Peaky Midwest LARP-writing workshop. The game’s prewritten characters live in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity’s survivors are all contained within a high-tech utopia called the BioDome. The storyline has six related human characters and four robot employees considering who will manage the BioDome as its creator steps down.

Although we have no way of knowing if we’re capable of developing AI that’s sophisticated enough to experience emotions, the idea behind these games is admirable and quite interesting.

There is a brave entrepreneur who launched a line of plant-based makeup rather than using fossil fuels. In June, this very entrepreneur was the recipient of an $8.2 million offer from the venture capital team of L’Oréal. The original collection of the product line includes 12 liquid eye-shadows that are long-lasting, 3 eyebrow mascaras, and 3 waterproof mascaras. 21 lipsticks were then added to this list.

An Expensive Change

The long-wear makeup demand constitutes one-fourth of the makeup market. It has a valuation of $12 billion. There is a vital ingredient that is used in them called isododecane. This ingredient can be obtained and synthesized from the plants but the cost is 100 times more expensive than using crude oils.

A Change is Coming

Luckily for Global Bioenergies’ Marc Delcourt, a company that is looking to use isododecane for cleaner jet fuel, now has a new client – L’Oréal. This cosmetic giant has also been looking for this very chemical in the pursuit of reducing the use of fossil fuels in the cosmetics industry. Delcourt even mentioned in an interview with Bloomberg that cosmetics will be the first industry to stop using oil-based products and lead the world towards greener choices.

Being Sustainable

The cosmetics are 90% made from plants and olive oil, vegetable waxes as well as isododecane. They will be placed in plastic that is recycled and the packaging will be made from cardboard, with the inclusion of aluminum glass and cases. This will be a great change from the usual line of products that are never in tandem with the green cause. The change has begun and the hope is that soon, every other brand will follow suit. L’Oréal is taking a huge step, and in the right direction, and is surely spearheading the cause of sustainable choices. If things go well, then it will not be long before buying 100% crude oil-free makeup becomes a common practice.