The Royal Opera House is venturing into the controversial realm of artificial intelligence (AI) with its upcoming RBO/SHIFT festival, which aims to explore the intersection of opera and machine learning. While some artists express deep unease, others see potential for innovation.
Artists React to AI's Role in Music
Patricia Auchterlonie, a soprano who has performed at the Royal Opera House, recently experienced an AI-generated version of her own voice. She described the initial portion as "somewhat straightforward singing that really sounded like me, which was quite eerie." The AI then produced a bird-like call that was "very high and very weird and quite guttural." Although she had never made that sound before, she now can, thanks to the technology.
The AI was used by Harry Yeff, a beatboxer known as Reeps One, who feeds recordings into machine learning systems to discover new vocal possibilities. Auchterlonie is among several artists participating in RBO/SHIFT, a four-day event designed to examine how opera and AI can interact.
Panic and Possibility in the Arts
Netia Jones, associate director at the Royal Opera House and programmer of the festival, acknowledges the crisis in the performing arts regarding machine learning. "There's absolute panic," she said, noting that some leading arts figures have described AI as "evil" and "the devil." She attributes this to "emotion-based reporting" and feels the misery of her colleagues, though she personally does not feel threatened.
Jones believes that her lack of fear stems from her long experience with technology and her conviction that subversive voices—artists, teachers, and philosophers—are needed to challenge dominant corporate narratives. "What we need in that space is the subversive voices, the people who are using it wrong, or the artists, the teachers, the philosophers who go into otherwise corporate spaces and start to make mistakes," she explained.
Mixed Reactions from Practitioners
When Jones launched a similar event last year, responses were divided. Some practitioners were "excited and inspired," while others were "repulsed, and exited." Those who stayed included Yeff, who was paired with Auchterlonie. Jones hopes such pairings will inspire new thinking about technology, though she recognizes not everyone is ready.
"We have to be teaching the machine really cool things," she said. The Royal Opera House, with its focus on tradition and human artistry, might seem an unlikely venue for such experimentation, but Jones argues that its traditional foundation allows it to hold these ideas simultaneously.
Copyright and Ownership in the AI Era
Jones is aware that her views on copyright are provocative. She questions the concept of ownership, noting that it is a relatively recent idea. "I'm not totally convinced about the idea that an idea is owned. Philosophically, my brain can't handle it," she said. "I think if you make something, you share it, and it belongs to everybody." She acknowledges that this utopian view angers many who rely on copyright for their livelihood, but she believes new paradigms must emerge.
However, critics worry that AI companies will exploit artists' work without compensation. Jones concedes that the immense wealth generated by a few tech companies is "revolting," especially for struggling artists. Yet she argues that boycotting technology because it has made some people wealthy is not sophisticated enough. She also doubts that large-scale litigation is the solution, given the minuscule contributions of individual works to AI models.
The Human Element Remains Central
Despite her openness to AI, Jones does not plan to commission AI-generated works. "If somehow I, as a commissioner, paid whatever corporation to write me an opera in the style of Thomas Adès, and they did that; I can't see the world where that's going to happen," she said. She believes that audiences, consumers, and practitioners will continue to value human creativity.
Jones suggests that working with technology can return us to fundamentally human experiences. She points to the work of Paola Prestini, who used AI to enable non-verbal actors to perform in live opera. Auchterlonie agrees, emphasizing the irreplaceable energy of live performance. "You need the human energy," she said.
While AI can imitate, Auchterlonie doubts it can replicate the weird, amazing quality of human music-making. The strange bird-like call from the AI was a surprise, but it led her to discover a new sound she could make herself. "I found it very eerie how much it sounds like me," she admitted, "I wasn't really sure about that."
