Staatstheater Augsburg: Tina Lorenz About AI-Supported Working Methods

How are current technological trends affecting the cultural sector?

Tina Lorenz: AI is the big topic today. The hype surrounding blockchain and NFTs, on the other hand, has waned. The approach to working with technology in operations has changed: For example, offerings such as livestreams, which we have created in recent years, have not remained a mere pandemic phenomenon and are still in demand today. What's more, many cultural institutions are also engaging with technological developments in terms of content. And not because it's hip, but because it really is a social issue.

Keyword AI – how do the Staatstheater Augsburg and the Digital Theater deal with AI?

Lorenz: On the one hand, quite utilitarian. We use AI as a tool in our operations – for example, when shortening all kinds of texts. But we also use it artistically, because we believe that In order to be able to express criticism at all, we have to deal with it very carefully. That's what we did at the Brecht Festival, for example. We had the Brecht bot, an AI trimmed to Bertolt Brecht based on GPT-3, which we used to write plays together. The response was very positive and it was great fun.

Where are the opportunities of AI for your theater and for the theater in general?

Lorenz: Above all in the administrative processes of operations and in visitor research. So much is still done manually here. With AI, I can work more efficiently and get to know my visitors and their preferences better. Its use can also make artistic workflows easier: AI takes over tasks and thus takes care of employees. For example, it takes the pressure off dramaturges, giving them more time for text editing.

And where do you see risks?

Lorenz: There are not so many risks at the theater, but one thing must not happen: Human curation must not be allowed to fall by the wayside. An AI as a large language model always needs prompts, always needs to be accompanied and always needs human curation.