New Virtual Reality Experience Puts Players at the Mercy of AI-Powered Aliens

For Immediate Release:
August 6, 2024

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Can users convince a powerful, advanced alien species to set them free in under seven minutes? That’s the objective behind PETA’s new one-of-a-kind virtual reality experience When They Came for Us, which aims to give humans a taste of their own speciesism—the misguided belief that one species is more important than others. In the immersive experience, users are seemingly abducted by terrifying aliens who see humans as inferior and exploitable and forced to plead for their freedom. It uses groundbreaking OpenAI technology to enable users to have spoken conversations with the aliens—who will respond differently depending on what the player says—ensuring that each experience is unique and creating an infinite number of possible outcomes.

“When They Came for Us gives players a glimpse of what it’s like to be a rabbit trapped in a laboratory or a pig imprisoned on a farm—at the mercy of a species that ignores their pain and terror,” says PETA Senior Vice President Joel Bartlett. “PETA invites everyone to try this revolutionary virtual reality experience, which might make them rethink their support of these exploitative industries.”

“The combination of VR and AI technology creates an intense and immersive social simulation, encouraging players to think and reflect,” says Alexander El-Meligi, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Demodern. “By partnering with PETA, we aim to raise awareness about animal rights through this immersive experience. Using AI-supported characters for the first time enables us to achieve a depth of dialogue that conveys PETA’s message more effectively, fostering a deeper understanding and empathy towards animal welfare among participants.”

When They Came for Us was developed with Germany-based studio Demodern and is available for free in the Meta Quest store to Meta Quest 2 and 3 users.

PETA—whose motto reads, “Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.