Founded in the 15th century, the University of Poitiers is one of the oldest academic institutions in Europe. Renowned for its excellence in research and educational innovation, it draws on a rich scientific and cultural heritage. Through its paleontological collections and specialized laboratories, the university is deeply committed to sharing scientific knowledge and promoting research to a wide audience.

Generative Artificial Intelligence, and specifically LLMs (Large Language Models), have become ubiquitous, yet their inner workings often remain a « black box » for the general public. The challenge was to demystify abstract and complex concepts (neural networks, probabilities, natural language processing) to make them intelligible and engaging. The goal was not only to explain « how it works » but also to foster users’ critical thinking by clearly exposing the limits of these technologies, moving beyond the simple hype.

Pico4E, Meta Quest 2 & 3, Android tablet and phone. Playable through the Inversive platform.

To address this educational gap, the studio crafted a narrative-driven immersive experience available in both Virtual Reality and on tablets. The journey is guided by a duo of virtual companions—an inquisitive novice representing the user’s curiosity, and a technical expert providing scientific context. Together, they invite users to step inside the ‘black box’ to visualize the invisible architecture of an LLM, turning abstract probabilities and neural pathways into a tangible environment.

Far from a simple technical showcase, the experience fosters critical thinking by continuously juxtaposing the AI’s creative power with its inherent flaws. By allowing users to witness the mechanics of hallucinations and biases firsthand, this solution transforms complex data science into a nuanced story, ensuring the audience leaves with a grounded understanding of the technology behind the hype.