As debate rages around the ethics and legalities of artificial intelligence, artists are exploring the technology’s possibilities – and its precarities Cate Blanchett – beloved thespian, film star and refugee advocate – is standing at a lectern, addressing the European Union parliament. “The future is now,” she says, authoritatively. So far, so normal, until: “But where the fuck are the sex robots?” The footage is from a 2023 address that Blanchett actually gave – but the rest has been made up. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...

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The performance artist and ‘sex clown’ shares her list of (mostly) wholesome clips: the cutest children, the best dog and the glitziest aerobics workout * Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email I am a person who believes in laughter. I work in live art. My main medium is performance. In art-making I revere legacies of border-riders, defiant sexualities, witches and rascals. I have been known as a sex clown and I am proud to invoke laughter. Some of the best laughing is out of absurdity. Laughter erupts and massages. Purrs and murmurs. It erodes calcified, rational, top-down thinking. It appears mysteriously, sometimes even when we think we should not laugh. My grandmother Betty used to say to my brother and I: “You’re laughing now, you’ll be crying in a minute!” We need our tears and hope; I wouldn’t be laughing so hard if it wasn’t so deeply serious. Continue reading...

The forthcoming game is a nostalgic exploration of a city in summer. Its creative director explains how it helps players to feel they are making the world more beautiful How do you make painting fun for those without an artistic bone in their body? Game developers have come up with a few answers – or at least, they’ve tried. There’s the straightforward approach of something like Mario Paint, where players are handed a mouse accessory and creation tools similar to Microsoft Paint. In Ōkami, a painter’s brush is used as a weapon and a magic wand in a Zelda-like world. In The Unfinished Swan, the world (and the story) are gradually revealed by the player’s spattered ink. Forthcoming painting game Été is less about the process of making art on a canvas, and more about making players feel as if they are making the world more beautiful. It lets you make art without any of the friction. “Like lots of games, Été fulfils a fantasy through role playing, the fantasy of being a painter – and to do so, we assume your avatar is already a talented painter,” says creative director Lazlo Bonin. “Painting in Été is not about skill, it’s about creativity and enjoyment.” Été is out on PC on 23 July. Continue reading...