Day 10: The Serious Business of AI & the Not-so-Serious Business of Comedy

What happens when what started on the “fringe” takes centrestage?

It becomes a global celebration of everything art. For 78 years, the cobblestones of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe have witnessed the move of the margin to the mainstream. …And this year, it will also give volume to the 50 curated climate narratives that refuse to stay silent.

Storyteller and Arts Enthusiast Himali Kothari reports from Edinburgh.

Day 10: When I step out after the last show, twilight has finally disappeared from the summer night, and it is dark. My walk to the bus stop is punctuated by the different tones and tunes streaming out of the clubs along the way. The cafés and restaurants that have buzzed all day have shut shop. It is time for shawarma and fish-and-chip shops to add to their till as the late-night Fringe shows wrap up. I am thankful for the Maps app on my phone, which guides me to the bus stop. It certainly beats stopping someone on the street to ask for directions!

Or does it?

Last year, while in Vietnam, every time I asked someone for any information, they would immediately switch on the Translate app on their phone, which would translate my English question and transcribe it into Vietnamese. They would reply in Vietnamese and show me the English-transcribed response on their phone. Convenient? Yes. Practical? Yes. But… so not fun! The animated gesturing to convey a question — while often frustrating — had led to so many interesting interactions over the years. It feels like one intriguing component of travel has begun to dissipate. As the power of AI grows, will many such experiences disappear forever?

Earlier in the day, the CCTA programme included a panel discussion featuring AI enthusiasts who are also storytellers, artists, and performers. The conversation focused on the confluence of artificial intelligence, the arts, and climate change — and on the value AI can bring to the art space.

One of the panelists spoke about the use of AI-based tools in art events, including the Fringe. For instance, Canva’s AI tool is used to create posters — but this is rarely disclosed. The general feeling among the panelists was that it should be fine to acknowledge the use of AI, and that there should be no shame attached to it. This is an interesting thought, especially considering the fear attached to AI and how it is perceived to be overtaking our lives.

I fall into the category of users whose engagement with AI, for now, mostly means asking ChatGPT a question — almost like it’s a friendlier version of a search engine! But as it invades more aspects of our lives, will I become more open to accepting it as a tool, or even a collaborator? Or will the fear of losing control over the boundaries continue to hold me back?

Languages and Voices Abound, but Inaction Prevails

Landforms by Andrea Ling highlights the doom that consumerism is leading us toward through a series of conversations between the protagonist and various other characters in their life. The playwright “was drawn to explore the tension between time running out and the land that holds it — to capture the anxiety of a world on the brink.” Ling believes theatre can play a crucial role in the climate crisis by facilitating conversations with audiences and spreading hope and action.

A few years ago, Britain saw several student walkouts to draw attention to the urgent need for climate action. This move was criticised by Britain’s former prime minister Theresa May as “a waste of time.” In response, Greta Thunberg tweeted: That may well be the case. But then again, political leaders have wasted 30 years on inaction.

This interaction was the genesis of the play Absolutely Nothing of Any Meaning by Sunny Drake. Characters 1 and 2 are in a room rapidly filling up with water. But as the water reaches neck level and continues to rise, they are caught up in a conversation about inane topics instead of seeking a solution. Through this play, Drake questions: “Why are so many of us guilty of inaction?”

Indian playwright Abhishek Majumdar’s The Arrow pays tribute to the indigenous population of India who live in harmony with nature and continue to fight for their forests — despite facing the wrath of profit-chasing corporations and apathy from a middle class that could not care less. The story unfolds through a conversation between two members of the indigenous community, both with differing ideas about the way forward. As the harbingers of destruction close in, the tension between the two builds to a crescendo. Whose vision will prevail?

In Listen to Vanessa Nakate by Aleya Kassam, the playwright honours climate activist Vanessa Nakate, who was among five climate activists from around the world invited to the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to speak truth to the global leaders in power. In the media coverage that followed, Nakate’s presence was erased and her voice silenced. She was the only African in the group. Through her play, Kassam pays tribute to Nakate and many other African women who, despite all odds, persist in their fight for the planet.