AI in live Performance
How can AI be used in live performance both as a tool for generating content and as an active system that interacts with performers and viewers? My interest is in integrating technology into performances and spaces to create meaningful and magical experiences. So many experiences are possible now through computer graphics and interactive systems that were science fiction only a few decades ago. My belief is that joining AI and live performance will allow for a new dimension of interaction and generative systems that continually evolve.
The combination of these two fields is still very young and what is possible is still largely unexplored. Some artists have started to explore the space and have created some compelling work. Marpi Studios had an exhibition called New Nature where digital creatures interacted with attendees and throughout the exhibition the creatures continually evolved and morphed. Sight Machine, a piece by Trevor Paglen in collaboration with Obscura Digital displayed the output of computer vision algorithms during a performance by the Kronos Quartet. The intention of this piece was to bring to the foreground all of the algorithms that are apart of our daily life but we fail to notice.
There are two major reasons that I want to integrate AI into live performances. First, these tools allow for a whole new paradigm of generative art and intelligent interactions. The possibility of creating installation art where each person has a unique meaningful experience because an AI is able to adapt to the individual is very exciting. No longer is the piece static it is dynamic and adaptive based on context. Also, from a content creation point of view, creating images and 3D models with a certain look has the potential to be vastly sped up using AI.
The other major reason AI needs to be explored in the context of live performance is to create conversation and debate about the use of AI in our lives. Tech corporations often release intelligent features into our lives without us being aware and most of us have no idea how they work or what they are doing. A performance can bring these to the forefront and allow people to experience more directly how AI is used and how they feel about it.
My skills and background in computer graphics and interactive systems prepare me well for bringing AI into these settings. Creating custom ML agents is an area I’m very interested in exploring and new tools continue to make it easier to get going. The possibilities in this field are wide open and that is exhilarating and just a bit daunting.
