PETA just launched our newest virtual reality experience, When They Came For Us. Players lift off into an extraterrestrial encounter in which persuasion is the key to their survival and freedom.

We’re proud to offer our first gamified, immersive role-playing experience. It uses artificial intelligence to provide new opportunities to develop understanding and empathy for our fellow Earthlings.

Navigating When They Came For Us

PETA’s latest virtual reality experience requires players to persuade a powerful alien life form not to exploit them. They’re given seven minutes to explain why they should be left in peace to live free from harm—and then the massive being renders a verdict. The situation is tense and dramatic, as time is ticking for the human attempting to prove their case. This project was developed in collaboration with the German digital agency Demodern using artificial intelligence through OpenAI.

This immersive experience is controlled exclusively by players’ voices during a conversation with the alien, whose replies are based on the latest artificial intelligence technology, allowing the extraterrestrial to formulate a wide variety of complex responses.

By requiring humans to argue convincingly for their right to exist, When They Came For Us helps us reflect on why exploiting other animals is cruel and unnecessary. This interactive presentation of the concept of speciesism is similar to PETA’s Abduction experience in that it’s a virtual journey that urges players to consider why every animal is someone and respect other species.

When They Came For Us, which took flight on August 5, is a free experience available through the Meta store for anyone with a Quest 2, 3 or Pro headset.

Virtual Reality vs. Real Cruelty

Boarding the spaceship of a virtual reality experience is a start, but remember: Cruelty to animals is no artificial scenario—it’s terrifyingly real for countless living, feeling individuals every day, worldwide. They’re burned, blinded, poisoned, and cut up alive in the name of science; mutilated and confined to tiny cages to be killed and eaten; electrocuted, strangled, and skinned alive so that folks can parade around in their skin, fur, and feathers; and chained, beaten, and forced to perform for entertainment.

Since most people aren’t open to seeing such suffering in real life (which also means they’re not fully aware of it), PETA is always seeking new ways, like virtual reality, to get everyone to consider how they think about and treat other animals.

Our everyday choices—such as what we eat for lunch and the kind of shampoo we buy—may directly support some of this abuse. And although it’s difficult to watch and comprehend the suffering inflicted on animals, we can’t end it if we look away and pretend it isn’t happening.

The good news is that there are tools to help anyone unlock their compassion for our fellow animals and make kind choices. PETA has been using virtual reality for a decade to help generate empathy for animals, and we hope our first OpenAI collaboration, When They Came For Us, will open your heart and that this virtual experience will launch your concern for the other species we share this planet with.

How You Can Help Defend Other Animals

Please, pledge to go vegan, and boost your awareness of animal rights by playing When They Came For Us—then share it with your family and friends:

Note: Your safety comes first. Please ensure that the area in which you participate in the experience is clear of humans, other animals, and objects that you might bump into, trip on, or fall over. For some folks unfamiliar with virtual reality or prone to dizziness, motion sickness may occur, in which case the application should be discontinued immediately. A certain percentage of people may experience epileptic seizures when exposed to specific light patterns or flashing lights. For folks with no history of seizures or epilepsy, this application may trigger seizures or previously undetected epileptic symptoms. If you or a member of your family are known to have epilepsy or experience seizures, please consult a physician before participating.

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