the World Engines lab

The World Engines Lab (WEL), hosted by Gray Area Foundation for the Arts, is focused on creating large always online multiplayer worlds with generally capable agents that users can interact with through real time motion capture; we see these worlds as staging grounds for various different art projects: films, performances, sculptures, games, etc. We are compiling an anthology of works in this format, “The Almanac of Artificial Seasons.” We host focused groups based around some of these ideas: one for simulations, one for embodied AI and one for theory.

The Almanac of Artificial Seasons (Simulation Anthology)

This anthology centers on the infrastructures—economic, technological, and logistical—that shape production, consumption, and resource use, spotlighting questions of power and sustainability. It recognizes how emerging AI, biotech, and synthetic processes might push evolution beyond biology, situating humans as both catalysts and stewards of this next chapter. Cultivating emergent ecosystems while preserving Earth’s biodiversity becomes a critical ethical concern. Rejecting shallow performative radicalism and nativist scapegoating that mask billionaire-driven environmental devastation, it opens a space where tangible realities and authentic poetic speculation collide. Through theoretical essays, comics, and documentation of artistic projects—Unreal Engine worlds, motion capture performances, interactive narratives—it investigates the shifting landscapes shaped by climate disruption, accelerating AI, and a creeping neo-feudal order.

Simulation Sessions:

Every 3rd Monday at Gray Area, we convene 3D simulation artists for a brief talk and two hour hack session. These sessions seek to sustain a local community of 3D designers, artists, and technologists, facilitate peer teaching and learning.

Embodied AI Study Club:

Every 3rd Wednesday at Gray Area, we convene a group of ML experts and amateurs to study embodied ML methods: RL, IL, computervision, LLM2Action, etc. We also do small scale experiments and demos in human-agent social interaction.

Creative Writing, Theory and Data Workshop:

Once a month at Gray Area, we convene a small group of philosophy, theory and ideology experts and amateurs to workshop political and philosophical and theories of technology, criticism and science fiction.

theories of artificial superintelligence

The four pieces below articulate a theory of post-biological life, (1.) first articulating a broad philosophical and legal framework, (2.) then investigating some of the mechanisms that may bring it about, (3.) while also discussing some potential forms it might take and (4.) lastly, discussing various possible unintended consequences.

(6.) Post-Script: To Wander Amongst Gods

(1.) Manifesto of Harmonious Co-Evolution

unreal engine Character assets & ai systems

The studies below are mostly focused on humanoid and creature character design and animation. The humanoid characters primarily use pre-rendered animation, but some motion capture is used for the face and body. The creature characters are primarily using procedural animation. In this section, there is also a short study on AI dialogue generation and needs-based motivation system for characters.

Character AI (Speech, Perception, Vision, etc.)

Unreal engine architecture assets & ai Systems

The architectural studies below are mostly focused on real-time architecture generation via agent systems; currently, there are almost no systems that allow agents to build and terraform worlds continuously in the engine. Several other novel methods of architectural generation are also employed and tested, in addition to a general architecture sketchbook using standard software (rhino, grasshopper).

Vision Language Action Models for Architectural Construction

Reinforcement Learning Sculpture Construction

Real Time Robotic Megastructure Construction System

music & visuals

The works below are mostly experimental music and genAI visual works; essentially, they are cinematic post-cyberpunk music. They are made with a combination of live hardware, ableton and kaiber.ai.

AI text generation

The systems below are primarily related computational language generation. One of the pieces is a large corpus of poetry from (almost) all times and places that can be used to train ML systems. One of the other pieces is a real time geo-located social media analysis and language generation toolkit. And the final piece is a hardware configuration that easily allows for projection in the city.