In November 2022, Tamara Rojo began her tenure as artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet, the oldest and third-largest ballet company in the United States. Her appointment marked a historic milestone as she became the company’s first new artistic director in 38 years and its first woman to hold the position. Rojo’s arrival coincided with another significant development in the city: the launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI, signaling a rapid acceleration in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Rojo observed that this moment represented a pivotal shift, especially for the creative industries, which were already undergoing transformation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise of AI raised new challenges concerning intellectual property rights, the exploitation of artists’ likenesses, and the authenticity of AI-generated works. In response, Rojo commissioned a new ballet, “Mere Mortals,” inspired by the myth of Pandora, adapted to reflect contemporary concerns about unleashing powerful and unpredictable forces—both creative and disruptive.

Collaborating with composer Sam Shepherd (known as Floating Points) and choreographer Aszure Barton, the production integrated AI as a tool for visual design, using thousands of photographs of the company’s dancers processed through a closed AI system developed by Hamill Industries. This approach aimed to enhance the artistic palette without replacing human creativity.

“Mere Mortals” premiered to notable success in San Francisco, drawing over 10,000 new audience members and attracting younger demographics. The production also served to bridge connections between the ballet community and Silicon Valley’s tech sector, a relationship previously considered unlikely. Following multiple encore performances locally, the work made its European debut at the Edinburgh International Festival and is scheduled for a run at London’s Sadlers Wells Theatre.

The two years since the ballet’s premiere have seen San Francisco increasingly enveloped by the burgeoning AI industry, with pervasive advertising campaigns and a competitive real estate market fueled by tech workers eager to capitalize on AI innovation. Despite widespread enthusiasm for technological advancement, the creative arts sector faces ongoing crises, including workforce reductions in Hollywood attributed to AI tools. Netflix’s recent acquisition of Ben Affleck’s AI-driven post-production company for nearly $600 million underscores the rapid integration of AI into entertainment production and its impact on traditional roles.

Beyond the major studios, AI-generated graphic art, video content, and music have become ubiquitous on social media platforms, posing risks to emerging content creators and digital influencers.

For Rojo, these developments highlight a central question: as AI increasingly permeates all aspects of creation, what remains uniquely human about art? She contends that authentic artistry requires years of rigorous, embodied training involving physical, intellectual, and emotional development. Unlike AI models, artists rely on lived experience, mentorship, trial and error, and a profound connection to their craft—elements that cannot be digitized or replicated by algorithms.

Rojo emphasizes that audiences continue to value live, tangible experiences—the sounds, movements, and energies that only human performers can produce. While acknowledging the potential for AI to augment artistic practice, she advocates for active engagement with these technologies rather than passive acceptance, warning that the conversation will proceed regardless of artists’ participation.

Drawing on the enduring metaphor of Pandora’s jar, Rojo suggests that hope remains as the crucial sustaining element amid the uncertainties introduced by emerging technologies. Through works like “Mere Mortals,” she envisions a future where the artistic legacy persists, grounded in genuine human creativity even as the landscape evolves.