A New Odyssey
As part of the Baby Boom generation, my introduction to Science Fiction was TV shows like The Twilight Zone (1959), The Outer Limits (1963), and the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey (1970). While many popular TV serials ventured into life in other dimensions, they tended to play on fear of the future and helplessness at the hands of aliens with powerful machines that were able to enhance or destroy civilizations. It was Kubrick and “Hal” who introduced the concept that programmed machines might actually have minds of their own in the future. Enter what is known as Artificial Intelligence.
I unashamedly admit that I have become obsessed with learning everything I can about the subject of Artificial Intelligence, but it is not possible to convey much information in a blog of reasonable length. Consider this a primer on a subject that has become the trendy topic among teenagers and the intellectual elite alike. We will begin with an overview of AI and move to looking at the benefits and concerns, and the influence of ethics, and regulations on this powerful science. Of course, you will learn how AI impacts our beloved Opera. (If you are impatient to read how AI is used in opera, you have my permission to fast-forward to the end of the blog “From Our Seats at The Opera.”)
A Very Short History
The history of AI dates back to the 1940s, when pioneers such as John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, and Claude Shannon began exploring the idea of building intelligent machines. In 1956, McCarthy, Minsky, and other researchers organized the Dartmouth Conference, which is widely regarded as the birth of AI as a field of study.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, AI research made significant progress in areas such as natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, and expert systems. However, in the 1980s, AI research experienced a downturn as both funding and interest lessened.
AI research experienced a resurgence in the 1990’s thanks to advances in computing power and the development of new machine learning algorithms. In 1997, IBM's Deep Blue defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov, marking a major milestone in the development of AI.
In the early 2000s, AI research focused on applications such as speech recognition, machine translation, and robotics. In 2011, IBM's Watson defeated human champions on the quiz show Jeopardy, demonstrating the power of AI in natural language processing and knowledge retrieval.
In recent years, AI is being increasingly integrated into a wide range of applications, from self-driving cars to personalized marketing. The names Gates, Dorsey, and Musk are forever tied to innovation reliant on artificial intelligence. However, there are also concerns about the potential risks and challenges associated with the development and use of AI, and it is important to carefully consider and address these issues as AI continues to evolve and become more integrated into our lives.
Regulating AI
A science as significant as AI needs to be regulated. While there are hundreds of agencies tasked with monitoring AI there are a few high-profile ones that you may want to watch including The Partnership on AI, The European Union's High-Level Expert Group on A, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC). These agencies have at their core similar mandates and that is to monitor AI on the basis of transparency, regular reporting, openness to supervision and monitoring, and moral and ethical considerations.
Risks of AI
The primary cheerleaders for AI, including Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI) are urging caution and careful consideration when it comes to its development and use and are calling for a proactive approach to addressing the potential risks and challenges associated with this technology. In mid-May of this year, Altman appeared before the United States Congress to plead for regulation by governments around the globe. Scientists and entrepreneurs may differ slightly in their approach to managing AI, but they unanimously agree that this genie cannot be put back in the bottle. The late physicist Stephen Hawking expressed concerns about the potential dangers of AI, warning that it could pose an existential threat to humanity if not developed and used responsibly.
There are several concerns about AI that have been raised by experts and the general public. The following list is a compilation of concerns surfaced by scientists, ethicists, organizations, and governments. The list was compiled by an AI program.
Job displacement: One of the primary concerns about AI is that it could lead to widespread job displacement, as AI systems become capable of performing tasks that were previously done by humans.
Bias and discrimination: AI systems can be biased or discriminatory if they are trained on biased or incomplete data, or if they are programmed with biased algorithms. This can perpetuate and amplify existing social and economic inequalities.
Lack of transparency: AI systems can be opaque and difficult to interpret, which can make it challenging to understand how they are making decisions and to identify and address potential biases or errors.
Security and privacy: AI systems can be vulnerable to cyberattacks and can pose risks to individual privacy if they collect and store sensitive data.
Autonomous weapons: The development of autonomous weapons, such as drones or robots that can make decisions about when and how to use lethal force, has raised concerns about the ethical and moral implications of delegating such decisions to machines.
Existential risk: Some experts have raised concerns about the possibility of super intelligent AI systems posing an existential risk to humanity, either through intentional harm or unintentional consequences.
Unintended Consequences: There is a concern that as AI systems become more powerful and capable, they could have unintended consequences that are difficult to predict or control. For example, an AI system that is designed to optimize traffic flow could end up causing traffic jams in other areas.
Control and Governance: There is a concern that as AI systems become more powerful and autonomous, it may become difficult to control or govern their actions. This could lead to unpredictable or even dangerous outcomes.
In which areas does AI excel?
AI is better than most humans at tasks that involve data processing, pattern recognition, playing complex games that require decision-making and strategy such as chess, and in repetitive tasks such as those found on an assembly line in manufacturing, or a call center, or a business that routinely uses logistics to function. Jobs that fall into these categories are at the most risk of being displaced. However, AI still lacks the creativity, empathy, and moral reasoning that humans possess.
What is it that AI cannot do in 2023?
Good news! AI still isn’t able to do everything we humans can do such as creative problem-solving, common-sense reasoning, or understand morality and ethics. It is difficult to predict exactly how long it will take for AI to become more "human." Human intelligence and emotional intelligence are highly complex and multifaceted, and involve not only cognitive abilities such as reasoning, perception, and memory, but also social and emotional skills such as empathy, intuition, and communication. While AI has made significant progress in some areas, it still cannot replicate the full range of human cognitive and emotional abilities. In order to “fully humanize AI” it means working across disciplines. This requires collaboration between researchers in AI, psychology, neuroscience, ethics, and other fields, which can take time and resources to coordinate.
From Our Seats at the Opera
In the opera world, AI is revolutionizing the way that music is composed, performed, and enjoyed. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of music data, identifying patterns and trends that can inform new compositions and help performers refine their interpretations. Additionally, AI-powered virtual reality and augmented reality technologies are changing the way that opera is experienced, creating immersive and interactive performances that transport audiences to new worlds.
So which operas specifically represent examples of using AI in the genre?
Scenes from a Novel - This 2019 opera by composer Tod Machover, which premiered in Edinburgh, Scotland, used AI to generate musical motifs based on audience members' emotions and reactions during the performance.
The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs - This 2017 opera by composer Mason Bates, which premiered at the Santa Fe Opera, used projection mapping and interactive visuals powered by AI to create an immersive and dynamic stage design.
Quantum Memories - This 2018 opera by composer Hector Rodriguez, which premiered in Mexico City, used AI-generated music to explore the themes of memory and identity.
Borislab - This 2021 opera by composer Boris Labbé, which premiered in France, used AI-generated visuals to create a surreal and abstract visual experience that complemented the music and libretto.
The ultimate venture into AI and the opera is an opera titled Chasing Waterfalls, which is an opera about making an opera using AI! Did you catch all of that? Unfortunately, I do not have the vocabulary to provide an adequate definition of the technology behind this opera, so click this LINK for an in-depth explanation.
Every day the boundaries of AI are being broadened as these examples demonstrate. The question remains, will traditional Opera fans accept a new world order? I suspect that while new technology and ways of writing, orchestrating, and providing voices in a performance may turn off an older demographic, they may just save opera as a genre by appealing to younger, more tech-savvy generations.
In Conclusion
There is really no disputing that AI has benefited our society as a whole in the areas of medicine, education, and any field of study that requires the compilation and interpretation of data. Daily, AI assistants like Alexa and Siri help organize our personal and professional lives. However, when making decisions about AI it behooves governments, institutions, and individuals to carefully assess the gains against the risks to privacy, individual creative rights, ethical protocols, and potential bias imbedded in algorithms. We must be vigilant about regulating AI, so it is a force for good in our lives and not a vehicle of unintended consequences.
Consider reading about advances in AI over the summer, but beware, you may get hooked.
Happy June!
Bernadette
This OperaBlog was contributed by Bernadette Snider, Vice President for Communications, Santa Fe Opera Guild Board of Directors, June 1, 2023.