AI Democracy
Photo: Alexandre Silveira
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“AI DEMOCRACY” explores the tension between artificial intelligence and democratic processes. Political bots, deepfakes, AI-driven election campaigns — as powerful tools of manipulation and propaganda, AI systems seem to be everywhere. But could things be different? Could AI also enable new forms of participation and decision-making?
In their new performance, Interrobang returns to the roots of democracy: the Greek polis. Ancient practices such as ostracism, sortition, and direct voting are revived by AI systems and brought to the stage, where they meet two performers and a creative coder. The audience can influence the political agenda of the evening through hand signals or via smartphone. But are the decisions made with the help of AI truly well-founded and transparent? When do we trust the seemingly neutral super-algorithms, when the human performers, and when ourselves as a collective? As a microsociety, the audience explores and experiences AI politics in real time.
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Dossier
Press
“That was the original promise of the digital space: room for everyone, everyone allowed to say everything — which, however, does not mean that everyone is also heard by everyone else. The latter might finally change thanks to artificial intelligence. At least that is what one chatbot promises when questioned by the two performers, while another model contradicts this view and paints a bleak picture of a humanity controlled by algorithms. (…) The vast amounts of data available to AI models must be interpreted. How this works is demonstrated in the second part of the evening. The audience becomes active members of a small theatrical community (…).”
(Gerd Brendel, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, 17.12.25)
Credits
Concept: Interrobang (Till Müller-Klug & Nina Tecklenburg) Play Devising: Interrobang & Team Performance: Lukas Jakob Huber, Claudia Splitt, Künstliche Intelligenzen Dramaturgy: Anna Krauß, Lara Domke, Outside Eye: Nina Tecklenburg, Creative Coding & AI Video: Manus Nijhoff, Alexandre Silveira, Video Documentation & Trailer: Julia Elger, Stage & Costume: Sandra Fox Music: Friedrich Greiling Graphics: Jürgen Fehrmann Technical Direction & Lightning Design: Dirk Lutz Production Management: ehrliche arbeit – freies Kulturbüro, Sandra Klöss Collaboration Production: Lara Domke Company Management, Communication & Social Media: Jack Willenbacher PR: Tina Ebert.
A co-production with HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin. Funded by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds.