September 23, 2024
Schneiderman receives Illinois Arts Council grant for AI-themed performance
Professor Davis Schneiderman has been awarded a Creative Catalyst Grant from the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) for an innovative stage performance exploring artificial intelligence through comedy and storytelling.
The grant will support the development of a 90-minute stage show that aims to demystify AI for general audiences. Schneiderman, the Executive Director of the Krebs Center for the Humanities and Professor of English at Lake Forest College, will collaborate with actor and writer Kelly Haramis on this project.
“This performance will take audiences on a whirlwind tour of AI’s evolution, from ancient myths to modern marvels and potential future scenarios,” Schneiderman explained. “By combining scholarly expertise with theatrical flair, we hope to create an engaging and thought-provoking experience that will entertain audiences while better informing them about one of the most transformative technologies of our time.”
“This performance will take audiences on a whirlwind tour of AI’s evolution, from ancient myths to modern marvels and potential future scenarios.”
The show will feature Schneiderman as a professor-narrator, accompanied by Haramis, in a series of comedic sketches and reenactments. Using multimedia presentations, the performance will cover key historical figures and concepts in AI, ranging from early folklore to contemporary issues such as algorithmic bias and AI ethics.
Schneiderman brings significant expertise to the project. He is the Principal Investigator for a $1.2 million grant from the Mellon Foundation for the HUMAN project (Humanities Understanding of the Machine-Assisted Nexus), a multi-year initiative exploring artificial intelligence from a humanities perspective. His background includes studying AI Ethics through the London School of Economics and serving as a facilitator for the Center for AI Safety's “AI Safety, Ethics and Society” course.
The Illinois Arts Council's Creative Catalyst Grant program supports Illinois artists and non-profit organizations for arts-related projects, programming, events, and professional development. This grant aims to foster creative initiatives across the state.
Schneiderman and Haramis’ performance project is expected to debut in the summer of 2025, with dates and venues to be announced. The show promises to be a unique blend of education and entertainment, offering audiences a new perspective on the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence.
