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Auto Nom: An upbeat self-driving car offers a refreshing look at Artificial Intelligence

Auto Nom is a new art film that offers an upbeat alternative to the doom and gloom that we often associate with autonomous mobility and Artificial Intelligence. It is the latest work by Berlin-based Zeitguised's new offspin foam Studio, and part of a series of character animation narratives based on the personality of 'Autonomous Rolf', a fictitious self-driving classic German car that gets under your hood with its freedom-loving behaviour.

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A gold-coloured self-driving car tilts upwards against stacked shopping trolleys, with colourful spheres floating above it against a bright blue sky

Quite literally, the car suddenly gains autonomy and becomes liberated from its basic functions to surprising and humorous effect. The juxtaposition between old and new is further explored through vocal synthesiser pop star, Hatsune Miku, lending her voice to Tom Jones' classic, 'It's Not Unusual' – resulting in a fitting combination of modern technology and old songs. If you didn't already know, Miku is the world's most popular virtual idol and has toured with Lady Gaga and performed on David Letterman.

"Oh hello lovely machine, emancipating yourself from function... You look adorable, you know? Yes dear, you were built to be autonomous, it said so in the campaign brief. No rush – getting from A to B was never an exciting idea to begin with, for your kind. Dance yourself clean, pull your metal frame apart and let the sun burn through your circuits. Ride your autobiography, guided by the beauty of your code."

Sit back, relax and enjoy the film below.

Yellow vintage German saloon car parked in a modernist white architectural setting with geometric shadows
A vintage yellow Mercedes-Benz drives down a bright, minimalist street lined with white modernist buildings under a clear blue sky
A yellow self-driving car hangs vertically from a purple structure in a minimalist cityscape with colourful geometric buildings
A yellow self-driving car with an open door hovers above white architectural structures in foam Studio's Auto Nom film
Yellow classic car with open doors and boot balanced vertically against a traffic light in a stylised urban environment from the Auto Nom film
Yellow classic car suspended vertically against a modern white building facade with coloured horizontal stripes
A yellow car tilts on its side against modern white buildings under a bright blue sky, with pink, blue and purple balloons floating above
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