The Royal Opera House is set to host the RBO/SHIFT festival, aiming to explore the role of artificial intelligence in the arts. The event comes amid widespread distrust among artists, with some commentators describing AI as 'evil' or 'the devil', but the Opera House believes collaboration is possible.
Opera has historically embraced new technologies, from pyrotechnics and flying machinery to electric lighting and digital media, while preserving historic crafts like scenic painting and embroidery. This dual focus makes it an ideal platform to examine AI's impact.
Concerns about AI replacing human roles, particularly around ownership and performers' likenesses, are legitimate, but in opera it remains difficult to identify roles that could be replaced. The most discussed aspect, generative AI, is seen as the least interesting; more compelling are questions of collaboration and new artistic forms.
Practical applications of AI, such as workforce planning, scheduling, and safety analysis in production, may have greater long-term impact than AI-generated art. AI can also reduce waste by enhancing pre-visualisation in set and costume design.
The festival aims to enable artists and audiences to think deeply about where we are now and where we may be tomorrow, emphasising that new technologies alter the conditions in which artists create rather than simply replacing existing art forms.
