AI Playground at Technopolis
Where a Grumpy Cactus awaits
Ever imagined chatting with a sarcastic cactus, spying on yourself through a “surveillance” camera, or strolling through decades of AI history on a giant board game? At AI!—the brand-new, temporary AI zone in Technopolis, Mechelen—you can do all that and more. Designed for everyone aged twelve and up, this lively space makes artificial intelligence feel less like rocket science and more like a fun adventure you can dive right into.
3 x national news
Making young people think about AI
These are our 4 AI exhibits inside of Technopolis.
1. The Grumpy Talking Cactus
Imagine a cactus you can talk to in real time… but the cactus is pretty prickly. This AI-driven green friend doesn’t just sit around—it converses with you, sprinkles on the sarcasm, and might even throw a witty insult your way. It’s a hilarious reminder that not all AI has to be polite.
Why You’ll Love It:
- This chatty plant has personality.
- Test how well you can handle a digital diva.
- Bring your friends—who can handle the cactus’s prickly attitude best?
- Fast response times so it’s like having a real conversation.
- Short-term memory so it remembers what you’ve asked before
It takes input via a microphone. You choose one of 4 languages first (English, Dutch, French or German) and then just hold a button while you speak. You get a response in 1 – 2 seconds.
Let’s talk!
If our project resonates with you and you see potential for a collaboration, we would 💙 to hear from you.
2. Emotion-Detecting Facial Recognition
Look into the camera and let AI tell you how you’re doing after visiting the exhibit (this one’s one your way out). The exhibit asks whether you’re feeling good or bad about the AI revolution. By looking angry or sad you can tell us how you feel. The AI reads your expressions and tallies it into a graph that shows the emotion of all visitors.
Why You’ll Love It:
- It’s a live mood ring for your face.
- Great way to get visitor feedback about the AI revolution
- Show kids how machines “see” emotions and start conversations about how this tech could be used and misused.
3. AI 4 Oceans: An Ocean Cleanup Game
This interactive game (inspired by code.org’s work) asks you to clean up virtual oceans with AI-powered tools. It’s part digital eco-adventure, part lesson in how technology can tackle real-world problems. It warns about the dangers of faulty data. Garbage in, garbage out!
Why You’ll Love It:
- Make cleaning up fun—no rubber boots needed.
- Learn how AI can identify and sort ocean debris.
- Learn about how AI can be used in a real world scenario BUT also seeing the pitfalls when it’s training data is lacking.
4. AI-Generated Cats
Who doesn’t love a good cat pic? Here, you’ll witness an AI that learns to generate increasingly realistic cat images. It’s a peek behind the digital curtain of the internet’s favorite furry friends.
Why You’ll Love It:
- Adorable cat images. Enough said.
- Understand how a machine “learns” to draw like an artist.
- Purr-fect conversation starter: “Is that cat real or AI-made?”
- Fun way for visitors to understand how the generator and discriminator in a GAN work.
Watch a quick playthrough here