Composer and MIT Media Lab faculty director Tod Machover is introducing artificial intelligence into a new composition performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The piece, titled “already and not yet,” is set to debut Thursday at Symphony Hall in Boston and will run through Saturday under the direction of conductor Kent Nagano.

The composition features an AI system that improvises and contributes its own music in real time alongside the orchestra’s musicians. This integration of AI into a classical performance is part of the orchestra’s week-long programming centered on the theme “Technology and Our Humanity.”

Machover recognizes the widespread apprehension about AI as an existential threat but emphasized that his intention is not to suggest that human musicians could be replaced by machines. Instead, the piece explores the potential for AI to serve as a creative partner and collaborator during live performance.

Because the AI system generates music spontaneously, even Machover cannot predict precisely how the piece will unfold in concert. The project represents a unique experiment at the intersection of technology and artistic expression, reflecting ongoing conversations about the evolving role of AI in society.