Improv vs AI
The battle we stand a chance of winning
I could do a long piece about the pros and cons of AI and I’m sure it would spark a big debate, but no matter what you think of it, it is likely to have a profound impact, especially on creatives. However, I am more and more convinced improv has a place as an antidote to artificial intelligence. I would suggest we are the opposite in many ways and today, I’m here to argue why.
Reason one:
We are a form of live theatre. Live theatre requires performers to be on stage in front of other humans. You are witnessing a spectacle rather than sitting in front of a screen. This has been passed down through the ages. Live is always different, special and provides a space where other humans come together to witness something collectively. They have the opportunity to discuss it afterwards. It becomes a ‘moment’.
Reason two:
No script. AI might be able to write a play these days but when you are improvising, you are in the moment so there is no need for a script. Improv requires authentic human reactions in the moment. The material generated needs to be generated on stage in front of the audience. Everyone is experiencing it for the first time (see the bit about witnessing something collectively above).
Reason three:
We are providing emotional connections. Every emotional moment we create on stage has a human authenticity to it, and yes, it is being experienced collectively. The feedback loop between audience and performers becomes even more precious as it is creating an emotional, human experience that cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence to any significant degree at the moment and, I suspect, in the future.
Reason four:
We provide community. There are many theories on why there is a ‘loneliness epidemic’ and why there is a growing need for communication skills to be taught in workplaces these days. There are many reasons for these phenomena but I would argue a lack of supportive community is undoubtedly a factor. Improv communities the world over, when at their best, provide a place for people to express themselves and are a place where people can support shows and learn together. The sense of community that can be fostered is something that, when added to the other reasons above, can make improv the antidote to the computer-generated AI slop being produced the world over.
Unless we get robots that look and respond exactly like humans, all the above still stands. The fact that we don’t need scripts, the fact we are live, the fact we have a feedback loop with the audience all stands us in good stead for being an antidote to the rise of the machines. The big question for me is how we make the most of that.
Other things…
This week, Kornfeld and Andrews: The Radio Plays is set at Niagara Falls, where a proposal leaves someone at a loss for words (featuring genuine Niagara Falls sfx from my trip there last month). You can hear the episode HERE
Thanks for the messages following last week’s news that I’m running for City Council next year in Nottingham. It will mean some significant time away from a lot of the things I love doing so that I can campaign properly from January onwards. If you would like me to teach a workshop later this year before I get into campaign mode, do get in touch!
Have a great week!
Lloydie
Superb article Lloydie. I'll add my £0.02:
The most joyous moments in improv come from performers saying and doing something sincere that would only have ever come from their stupid mind. Large Language Models, by definition, produce average, mainstream, predictable responses, and there's no sincerity in anything they produce, because an unthinking algorithm is incapable of sincerity.