AI Actors To Replace Humans?
AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Max Myers
Swing Joined: 10/13/19
#1AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 11:17am
We've all seen the light speed advances in AI and given how incredibly expensive it is to put up a show, I'm given to ponder at what point will AI holograms replace, or at least augment real actors? I believe it's coming and producers are always looking for a more financially effective way to produce a given production. Candidly, I don't blame them and if truth be told, as a writer, I'm excited by the possibilities.
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#2AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 11:21am
This will surely be part of AEA's next contract negotiation to ensure that AI has no place in the performance community. Same with the other unions & guilds.
There are areas where AI could benefit the live theatre industry (select aspects of ticketing & marketing, even more select aspects of design & creative devel, etc), but performers isn't one of them. At least until the technology becomes much, much more sophisticated.
#3AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 11:24am
Although, I would love if AI could craft a production of Mame with Judy Garland in the starring role
"Ok ok ok ok ok ok ok. Have you guys heard about fidget spinners!?" ~Patti LuPone
#4AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 11:30am
Then maybe we can get 1988 Liza and 2010 Lady Gaga in that next revival of GYPSY.
#5AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 11:31am
Why would we want anything besides Judy and Liza going Gypsy?
My gay heart can’t accept that it never happened.
#6AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 11:45am
TotallyEffed said: "Why would we want anything besides Judy and Liza going Gypsy?
My gay heart can’t accept that it never happened."
LOL and my gay ass didn’t even think of that!
#7AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 11:48am
All obvious arguments about how utterly reprehensible it would be on a philosophical level aside, the thing people seem to still be confused about after over a decade of hype surrounding the word is that HOLOGRAMS DO NOT EXIST, and are nowhere near existing in any sense that people mean when they use that word. Despite what media falls for as a "hologram" the best you're getting is a projection of a video on a scrim.
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#8AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 12:04pm
"hologram" is kind of an annoying buzzword
To that point, AI is also a buzzword for "a thing that used to be done by a human in an analog way and now can be done with a computer and less human involvement"
#9AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 12:06pm
Then we can have a revival of “Diana” with…Diana.
#10AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 12:08pm
I wanna see Patti and Bernadette from 1980 do Wicked.
Elaine Stritch as Miss Hannigan!
Judy as Joanne in Company….
#12AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 12:17pm
I know she's still alive, but Meryl Streep as Norma Desmond
The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince
#13AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 12:20pm
Whitney Houston as Effie White
The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince
#14AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 1:28pm
Dylan Smith4 said: "Whitney Houston as Effie White"
She’s never been so thin!
Max Myers
Swing Joined: 10/13/19
#15AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 1:30pm
Scarywarhol said: "All obvious arguments about how utterly reprehensible it would be on a philosophical level aside, the thing people seem to still be confused about after over a decade of hype surrounding the word is that HOLOGRAMS DO NOT EXIST, and are nowhere near existing in any sense that people mean when they use that word. Despite what media falls for as a "hologram" the best you're getting is a projection of a video on a scrim."
Agreed with the non existent of it all, but, I just participated on an AI panel with other Hollywood creatives, which has been my main breadwinner for the last twenty-five years, and fear is running rampant. Yes, the "filmed" image is a completely different medium but I've been wondering if using the rapidly changing tech, Light Field Labs are just one company pushing the envelope, at what point will the tech evolve to the point that audiences will suspend disbelief? I argued that theater is the last bastion of immediacy for dynamic human interaction, which cycles back to my earlier point of production costs.
To take that one step further, we're already seeing multiple layoffs within the working class, of which we're all members, so when will that become the primary concern for the government and for what it means for society at large? If Joe Average can't earn any shekels, he ain't gonna spend whatever he has on going to the theater and they are the heaping proportion of the audience. That's my genuine concern which is why I posted the question about AI augmentation; short term skepticism versus the long range reality.
Max Myers
Swing Joined: 10/13/19
#16AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 1:32pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "This will surely be part of AEA's next contract negotiation to ensure that AI has no place in the performance community. Same with the other unions & guilds.
There are areas where AI could benefit the live theatre industry (select aspects of ticketing & marketing, even more select aspects of design & creative devel, etc), but performers isn't one of them. At least until the technology becomes much, much more sophisticated."
Agreed but my gut instinct is that no matter how we feel, it's coming down the pike. The genie is outta the bottle, mate and there's no way to put it back.
JSquared2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/17
#17AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 1:44pm
It's already happening.
https://deadline.com/2023/09/goteborg-film-festival-ai-ingmar-bergman-persona-1235555410/#recipient_hashed=58c3f317269bed0a2f02cf7c7efecca4333b1ccf9dcbc6d57dad1e7afec53832&recipient_salt=2b5a7ad782ac2e9292d9eb3f0ad2511d43d2f182d14ce878d5b9fd6dcda44369
I guess we can look forward to a Margot Robbie & Ryan Gosling "remake" of Casablanca?
#18AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 3:38pm
This is giving me flashbacks to the classic 90s video game "Opening Night," where a bunch of motion-captured theatre actors in Victorian costumes digitized into avatars, Mortal Kombat style, would perform whatever dialogue you wrote for them and blocking you programmed for them. It was so primitive and janky, but so much (juvenile and barely above brainless) fun was had in computer class with that one.
#19AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 3:58pm
Didn't an AI Carrie Fisher pop up in Rogue One?
Beyoncé is not an ally. Actions speak louder than words, Mrs. Carter. #Dubai #$$$
#20AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 4:09pm
We are playing even faster and looser with "AI" than with "hologram." I mean, sure, if both words can mean literally anything you want them to, then I guess AI and holograms are coming for everything.
Updated On: 9/26/23 at 04:09 PM
JSquared2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/17
#21AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 4:18pm
While maybe not technically a "hologram" -- the ABBA Voyage concerts in the UK are certainly paying off.
djjd007
Chorus Member Joined: 7/27/10
#22AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/26/23 at 10:01pm
The “holograms” people refer to in performance are actually an old theatrical effect called Pepper’s Ghost, first used in 1862. The technology projecting the images/performers may be new, but this is anything but new. In recent memory, in Ghost, Sam walked through the wall and this was how they did it. I expect Death Becomes Her will use this at some point.
The hard part about staging would be similar to the Michael Jackson Grammy tribute, which exhibited all the issues of trying to choreograph around a projected image. And since the projected images can’t interact with sets and props, I don’t think we have to worry about this replacing theatre until we make major advancements in technology.
Ensemble1691149078
Swing Joined: 8/4/23
#23AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/27/23 at 6:38am
I disagree. Why is this even a debate? Theater is supposed to be immersive and intimate. So having AI actors, regardless of costs, will take away from that. Also, it would take jobs from REAL actors who are strugling to stay alive. How is that fair? I know broadway is struggling due to having to catch up from COVID, and producers will be producers, but tell me who would go see a hologram of Judy Garland or Elaine Stritch and not feel like they're missing out on something; or that it feels lifeless? Basically AI does not and will NEVER have a place in the theater. Period. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.
#24AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/27/23 at 7:11am
I appreciate the sentiment here, but also never say never; people expressed the same sentiment about microphones, prerecorded sound, digital effects, etc.
Phantom4ever
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/17/07
#25AI Actors To Replace Humans?
Posted: 9/27/23 at 9:15am
As long as there are bright flashing lights and a loud pop score, I don't think most Broadway audiences will care if the actors are AI. As long as they can film what they want and post it to social media and call that marketing.
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