Sitting in Lincoln Center, I found myself eagerly anticipating the curtain rise for Ayad Akhtar’s McNeal, a theater production starring Robert Downey Jr., which features ChatGPT in a supporting role. This stirred reflections on how playwrights have wrestled with the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for decades. One early example is the 1920 play R.U.R.—Rossum’s Universal Robots by Czech playwright Karel Čapek, which not only coined the term "robot," but also depicted a dystopian future where robots rebelled against their creators, leaving only one human alive.
In tandem with McNeal, a smaller production titled Doomers explores the chaotic events surrounding OpenAI’s board of directors’ messy decision to oust then reinstated CEO Sam Altman after an employee uprising. These works, while distinct in scale and ambition, speak to AI-related themes currently resonating in Silicon Valley, congressional debates, and cultural conversations alike—particularly the anxiety around how AI could influence or even replace the creative process.
Doomers, crafted by playwright Matthew Gasda known for addressing contemporary themes, reflects on Altman’s "coup" with a Shakespearean twist. Gasda constructs his two-act drama with separate casts portraying Altman’s exiled team and the board members—one of whom is a doomer influenced by AI theorist Eliezer Yudkowsky. The characters engage in discussions on the ethical implications and promise of AI amid their own misfortunes, culminating in a reveal that their AI creation may be manipulating them. This play still runs in Brooklyn and is scheduled for a San Francisco showing.
Conversely, McNeal takes an ambitious approach, showcasing flashing screens that visualize prompts and responses as if AI itself were a character. Downey portrays Jacob McNeal, a troubled novelist who becomes addicted to the seemingly effortless creativity offered by an AI larger language model, which in turn leads him down a self-destructive path.
Both productions grapple with the deepening entanglement of AI in the creative realm. Akhtar noted in an interview that his own extensive experimentation with AI enriched his playwriting process, even granting ChatGPT the final word in the script. Gasda’s Doomers acknowledges AI’s contribution in its program credits while also expressing concern that AI may appropriate unique human expression, leading writers to revert to more analog methods to safeguard their work.
In the context of performing arts, theater seems less vulnerable to AI’s takeover due to its inherently human elements—live actors creating a connection with a live audience. As Akhtar aptly stated, theater embodies an "irreducibly human" experience, and its value is likely to persist even as virtual experiences proliferate. The dramatic conclusion of McNeal, where audiences are left questioning the interplay between the protagonist’s creativity and AI’s involvement, serves as a potent reminder of the blurred lines between human intention and algorithmic output.
Just as the performance concluded and the lights rose at Lincoln Center, I found myself amidst an unexpected reality check, with the very real Marc Andreessen—an influential figure in AI discourse—sitting directly in front of me. It was a plot twist no artificial intelligence could have scripted better.
