AI will not decimate the arts. We have to question it, but we can work with it

TThe alarm and distrust of artificial intelligence among artists and creatives remains real and consequential, and the language used by leading art commentators is often apocalyptic: AI will decimate the arts, it is evil, it is the devil. Like many new technologies, AI was driven by the companies at the forefront of its development. Machine learning is being introduced to the public at a rapid pace and is constantly evolving. It is closely linked to fear, antipathy and premonition. At the same time, its powers and possibilities are increasing exponentially and are becoming embedded in almost every aspect of human activity.

The upcoming RBO/SHIFT Festival at the Royal Opera House aims to interrogate all sides of this rapidly evolving landscape, giving artists, performers, creatives and audiences the opportunity to think deeply and broadly about where we are now and where we could be tomorrow. Machine learning represents a seismic shift, both in society and in the arts, and we need…