Hello, AI! Belgian city theatre introduces fully digital house artist

Alva Ishii is a promising artist, even though she was born earlier this year. With the help of local experts, NTGent has brought Alva to life using artificial intelligence. The new house artist of the Belgian city theatre is currently a persona within an AI chatbot, fed with NTGent's entire digital archive. She was also given a list of specific character traits, including NTGent's five core values. Just like the city theatre she works with, Alva Ishii is groundbreaking, sustainable, collaborative, transparent and vulnerable.

In the coming years and months, Alva's development will be shaped by the input of NTGent's other house artists. Her looks (pictured above) are an an AI-generated mix of the faces of her fellow theatre makers.

'The long-term ambition is for Alva Ishii to make performances,' says Yves Degryse, artistic director of NTGent. On top of that, Alva will become a close collaborator for every member of the NTGent staff and artistic team.

Theatre makers will engage Alva as a sounding board, actor or co-creator. Staff members will ask her help in solving complex problems or smoothing work flows. 'Why wouldn't we want an employee who speaks dozens of languages, is able to advice the accounting department on smart software and can help the HR department prepare for a tricky discussion?', Degryse says.

Alva Ishii's development is part of one of NTGent's new artistic lines: Art & New Technology. ‘Technologies like AI are flowing into our lives inevitably and at breakneck speed,’ says Degryse. ’That generates fear, but it is important to look beyond that fear, with radical imagination and a critical perspective as tools. As artists, we want to get actively involved in the development of new technologies. The closer we are, the more impact we can have.' 

NTGent and Wintercircus, the new high-tech concert and technology hub in Ghent, set up Goose Bumps Tech Lab for this purpose. The lab brings together artists and developers to explore the future of new technologies within the performing arts. Where is the real added value? What are the pitfalls, and how can we avoid them?

Development and experiment are combined with reflection and debate. ‘With Alva Ishii, we question artificial intelligence by standing in the middle of it,’ says Degryse. ’The debate about what impact AI has on us as humans, society and artists is crucial.’ Which roles Alva Ishii will play within NTGent and for how long, is part of that debate. Does she actually have artistic talent? Is she ready for the big stage? Can she join on tour? Should she get paid?