TAS for Cats: An Artist-led Exploration of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems for Companion Animals

Abstract

Cat Royale is an artist-led exploration of trustworthy autonomous systems (TAS) created by the TAS Hub’s creative ambassadors Blast Theory. A small community of cats inhabits a purpose built ‘cat utopia’ at the centre of which a robot arm tries to enrich their lives by playing with them. We initially present the design of Cat Royale as an autonomous system, but then reflect on how diverse human (and animal) stakeholders were required to enable its development and live operation when adopting an approach shaped by responsible research and innovation (RRI). In so doing, we unpack how Cat Royale speaks to three core issues of autonomy, trustworthiness and responsibility relevant to the TAS community more broadly.