Let’s Talk: Learning About AI Through Art

Jean Cocteau, French poet, artist, and playwright, said, "Art is science made clear."

And perhaps nowhere is more clarity needed in the world of skills than in artificial intelligence (AI). I had the opportunity to connect with Roberto Trotta, professor of theoretical physics and head of data science at Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) in Italy and author of "Starborn: How the Stars Made Us (and Who We Would Be Without Them)," through UpSkill America's work with the AI Alliance. Dr. Trotta's work and perspectives are fascinating, and I especially appreciated the way that he intentionally connected art and science through "Parl-IA-moci" or "Let's Talk" in Italian, a theater piece that uses AI to tell a story, engage audiences, and spark curiosity.

The piece, which tells the story of composer Gustav Mahler, his wife Alma, and their stormy relationship, is the first of its kind in Italy. Trotta served as a scientific consultant during the development of the project. The play is a collaboration of the Amici della Musica of Modena, the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Natural and Humanistic Studies of SISSA, and Diana Höbel, actress, author, and director.

"The play connects with people emotionally, not just intellectually," Trotta explained. "Not everyone feels like they can engage with AI concepts and ideas, but through the arts, theater, and storytelling, everyone can do so. It levels the playing field and gives people permission to ask questions and be curious. The barrier is much lower than going to a lecture or something that feels more academic. In the discourse about AI, there is a lot to do with fear and how we react to AI outputs. Art offers a bigger way of being engaged."

Mahler was an Austrian composer active in the latter 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1902, he married Alma Schindler, a much younger woman who herself was a composer. Their marriage lasted less than a decade before Mahler died in 1911 and was by all accounts a passionate and tumultuous one. The love letters between the couple serve as the "training data" for the AI model used in Parl-IA-moci, where all of Mahler's lines are written by AI. Höbel plays the role of Alma.

The show is partially improvised, with feedback and prompts to the Gustav AI model given in real-time, in communication with Höbel's Alma. As an "experiment without a safety net," the piece demonstrates both the potential and limitations of AI while sharing a fascinating story. The AI requires a 2-3 second delay between the actress' lines and its response, and there are occasional glitches. "It's not perfect, and you can't entirely rely on it - and that's part of the message. It showcases a whole spectrum of opportunities, questions, and ideas," said Trotta.

The play uses a minimal set, and the Mahler AI voice sounds like a computer. "We didn't want to go down the uncanny valley of making the AI sound human," Trotta commented. The restrained staging and music create a powerful learning experience. "People hear about AI all the time, but they don't see it in action much at all. It's quite powerful because all of a sudden, people are conscious that here is something new, and something interesting they should know about. People are unsure what to expect, and they are often surprised, and occasionally delighted, by the machine."

Trotta and Höbel end each performance with an audience discussion, where they are "bubbling with questions," according to Trotta. "How does it work? What will it become? Now that we have this technology, what does it mean for everyday life, for democracy, for the way we interact with each other?"

Above all, Parl-IA-moci is entertainment that intends to help audience members gain exposure and insight into what AI is and isn't, prompting them to ask questions and dig deeper. "One thing I hope people leave with is the notion that AI, whatever it is, is not something that we can ignore," Trotta commented. "It will be a part of lives, whatever you do, whoever you are. AI is about us all. The play never intends for the AI to be anthropomorphized. It sits somewhere in the middle, where people can engage without fear and with some knowledge that there are some caveats. There is a medium between totally scared and totally sold, and that is a good place to start people off on a journey of learning."

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