“At the Table”
Humanity at the
dawn of AI
Take a peek inside the studio during the process of making “At the Table”.
SYREN’s Newest Work at the
Intersection of Dance and Science!
Choreographer: Kate Sutter
Composer, Pianist, Vocalist: Lauren Cregor
Dancers: Alice Chacon, Rivkins Christopher,
Jessica Nolan, Lynn Peterson, Roxanne Potes,
Alex Larson (Swing)
Music Producer: Alex Weinstein
Solo Violin: Adrianna Mateo
The creation of "At the Table" was made possible thanks to the support of SYREN's individual donors, Museum of Science-Boston, NXTHVN, and a commissioning grant from the O'Donnell-Green Music and Dance Foundation.
Today, when we talk about humanity, artificial intelligence is in the room. Increasingly, it is difficult to discuss humanity – its history, experiences, contours, complexities, contradictions, its very definition, if there is one – without contending also with the rapid proliferation and popularization of increasingly human-like scientific advancements.
Many of the ways we are inclined as a public to engage with this reality can originate from a place of defensiveness.
What would happen if we took a different approach? What if we not only allowed AI in the room, but invited it to the table?
Through “At the Table”, SYREN seeks to prod at the answer. In this piece, SYREN journeys into the complicated experience of being human at the onset of the AI era, embracing the questions of this age with joy and tenderness, curiosity just as much as caution. Central to this journey is the acceptance – even celebration – of the ways in which AI may, in fact, get us even closer to our own humanity. SYREN believes that this journey is a collective one, and aims to empower audiences to actively partake in the process of ingesting and shaping this new technology, and its role in the future of our species. Most importantly, SYREN seeks to remind its audience that science – like art – belongs in the hands of the public.