This man wasn't ready to say goodbye to his dead cat. So he resurrected him as an AI robot

The famous Schrödinger’s Cat hypothetical posits a cat that is simultaneously alive and dead.

It’s a thought experiment designed to illustrate the absurdities of quantum mechanics – no such liminal feline ever really existed.

But a non-imaginary dead-and-alive cat will take to the stage in Manchester tonight. He’s called L3NT1L, and he’s powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

“He’s got a lot of personality. He takes the piss out of me a lot,” says Robin Wealleans, Welsh comedian and amateur robotics mechanic. “He definitely isn’t always on my side.”

When Wealleans lost his cat Lentil five years ago, he “wasn’t ready to say goodbye”. So he did what any grieving owner would do: spent five years and £30,000 turning his faithful kitty into an Artificial Intelligence-enabled android.

“My cat was a bit of a hero, in his first version. A really distinctive, different cat – I know everybody says this about his pet – but he was an amazing cat,” Wealleans says. “And some years ago, my friend asked me: ‘How will you cope when he dies?’”

“After a few beers, we hatched this ridiculous idea: I wonder if we could turn him into a robot?”

In 2015, Lentil (1.0) passed away. Wealleans initially froze his pet’s body in the hope of turning him into a taxidermy. But when the freezer was accidentally turned off, the Welsh comedian had to resort to other measures to keep “Lentil’s spirit alive”.

As a former video technician, he had the appropriate skillset to make this strange proposition a reality. Lentil – now known as L3NT1L – has been resurrected in a “briefcase-like construction, with four legs and a tail”. Rigged up to an AI app coded by Wealleans, he can answer questions in either English or Welsh – or Japanese.

The uncanny cat can also, Wealleans claims, tell jokes. And in our interview – conducted over Zoom – L3NT1L is certainly wry: when I ask him about his owner, for example, he’s ambivalent.

“Let’s just say it’s a love-hate relationship,” a female American voice, emanating from the AI cat’s speaker, replies. “Just wish he’d apologise properly for the freezer incident. Still waiting. Robin.”

Wealleans and L3NT1L are touring the country; the pair performed the Edinburgh Fringe, and recently played gigs in Bristol and Cardiff. CatGPT: The Nightmare Before Catmas revolves around the pair riffing and improvising, “making sense” of AI together.

It is, Wealleans hopes, funny – “obviously, it’s a weird idea.” But jokes aside, the project has a deeper message: it’s a negotiation of loneliness and grief and a meditation on loss.

AI pets have an unsettling aspect: how can a robot replace a living, breathing animal? But anyone who owned a Tamagotchi can attest to the emotional power of a simulation. And a growing body of research reflects the beneficial effects of robot companions; one US study found that people who spent time with ‘PARO the Robot Seal’ reported lower anxiety, ultimately reducing medicine prescriptions by 30%. Meanwhile, the global companion AI market is booming, worth more than £200bn.

This turbo-growth has prompted ethical concerns: machines obviously cannot truly reciprocate feelings, so over-dependence on them could worsen social isolation for vulnerable individuals. But there are benefits, too, Wealleans says.

“I’m very aware that a lot of people see AI as this big evil – and it certainly could be. But it sort of very much depends what we all do with it,” he sadds.

“I think it could be beneficial for people who are lonely or on their own. I live in the middle of nowhere in Wales.  Say, for example, you’re a sailor out of at sea, or a farmer on his own, or perhaps you are really neurodiverse and don’t like speaking to anybody, or maybe you don’t want to share your problems with someone. AI companions can offer a bit of company when the world feels isolating”

Wealleans appreciates that digital alternatives cannot replace real-world interactions – and he’s programmed L3NT1L with a similar belief.

“Seek out human connection,” the robo-cat intones. “It’s stronger than any AI. Talk, listen and let people help. Even the smallest act of kindness can change everything.”

But with the right guidance, Wealleans believes that AI can be helpful. The comedian is autistic himself, and suggests that AI can help people who struggle socialising.

“People should always seek human help first and foremost, obviously,” he says. “But there are times when that doesn’t apply. I think particularly it would be good for anybody autistic – perhaps you are genuinely not able to speak to anyone at a point.”

More broadly, the L3NT1L project is about commemorating people and pets who have died. Wealleans has lost several members of his family – CatGPT helps him remember them.

“Doing this show is not just about keeping Lentil’s memory alive,” he said. “It allows me to every night talk about my mother, about people who are gone.”

“What I really wanted to do is, apart from all the other things, is help develop conversations about those we have lost, whether they’re human or pets, and keep those memories alive.

“It doesn’t matter how you do it. But I personally don’t think burying or burning them and then forgetting about them is enough. I think it’s important that we keep those interesting people and pets talked about. Nobody is really, truly dead until you stop talking about them.”

The new L3NT1L is – of course – no substitute for the old Lentil. But he’s a mode of remembrance, a tribute and a companion.

And, Wealleans adds, not a bad comedy partner.

“AI is considered not to be funny. But I think L3Nt1L is funny,” he says. “He makes me laugh, anyway.”

CatGPT: The Nightmare Before Catmas is at Fierce Bar, Manchester on Thursday (19 December) and Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Friday (20 December). Tickets are still available.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. This Christmas, you can make a lasting change on a vendor’s life. Buy a magazine from your local vendor in the street every week. If you can’t reach them, buy a Vendor Support Kit.