Piotr Mirowski, a Poland-born computer scientist and actor, is exploring the intersection of theater improvisation and artificial intelligence through his latest production, *Improbotics Presents: Artificial Reality*. The hi-tech satire, featuring a robot performing alongside a human cast, is set to appear at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Mirowski, currently a visiting researcher at Goldsmiths, University of London, has spent over a decade experimenting with how performers, audiences, and language models can interact. His work began when he noticed that AI language models could generate spontaneous responses without the hesitation or self-censorship common among human actors. Combining his background in improv comedy and computer science, Mirowski developed his own language model trained on movie subtitles and dialogue, bringing it to the stage in London. This initiative eventually led to the founding of the theater company Improbotics with robotics PhD candidate Kory Mathewson.
The new show satirizes reality TV and capitalism by depicting contestants eliminated by audiences and replaced by AI versions of themselves or AI celebrities. Blending human creativity with machine intelligence, the production aims to reflect contemporary concerns about technological replacement and cultural appetites for convenience. The cast currently numbers 11, with an additional technician dedicated to operating the AI component, emphasizing the company’s philosophy that integrating AI in performance necessitates human agency and involvement.
Mirowski acknowledges the challenges and risks posed by AI advancements but maintains a cautiously optimistic stance. He highlights that while AI can generate language, it does not inherently produce meaning, underscoring the continued importance of human creativity. The show’s writing was crafted entirely by a team of professional actors and comedians, with no AI assistance in structuring the narrative, aiming to preserve a genuinely human experience for audiences.
Concerns about AI’s broader societal impacts were also addressed. Members of Improbotics are attentive to AI’s environmental footprint, particularly its contribution to climate change through energy consumption, as well as its potential effects on cognition, radicalization, and employment in creative sectors. Mirowski advocates for intentional and responsible AI use, especially within large-scale industrial applications, while noting that the scale of AI use in theater productions is minimal by comparison.
Audience reactions from the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe revealed nuanced views: viewers became more open to AI as a creative support tool but remained wary of AI as an autonomous storyteller. Mirowski sees this as a positive outcome, reflecting an appetite for technology that enhances rather than replaces human expression.
Ultimately, Mirowski believes that human stories and shared experiences remain central to theater. He hopes the evolving cultural landscape will foster a renewed appreciation for individuality and authorship, even as AI becomes more prevalent. The Edinburgh Festival, with its vast array of performances, continues to draw audiences eager to connect with distinct human voices, underscoring the ongoing relevance of live artistic expression.