Room is Sad is an immersive experience that uses AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) to tell the story of a smart room that isn’t feeling quite itself. Participants will discover what might be wrong and what they could do to cheer it up, interacting with the room through voice, text, and movement, raising questions about the relationship between identity, autonomy and privacy today.  

The project is the second collaboration between KDL and game company Charisma AI, and also draws on the AHRC-funded AR and Immersive Theatre project Digital Ghost Hunt.

Room is Sad records participants’ responses as text. For more information, consult the LDB privacy policy: https://londondesignbiennale.com/privacy-policy

Credits & Supporters

Creative Team:
Created by Elliott Hall, King’s Digital Lab (KDL) in partnership with Charisma.AI
Images for the room’s mood and dreams were made by prompts to Stable Diffusion 2.1
With original songs and therapy from ChatGPT-4

Research Project Team:
Project Lead: Prof. James Smithies (Department of Digital Humanities)
Co-Investigator: Prof. Sarah Atkinson, Vice Dean and Professor of Screen Media, Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries

Faculty of Arts & Humanities

Find out more about 'Seeking Connection' at the 2023 London Design Biennale here.