AI invades the comedy scene at Brighton Fringe Festival

The Improbotics cast and their little robot A.L.Ex.

Get ready for some tech-fueled laughter as Improbotics, an award-winning troupe of international actors and AI researchers, gear up for their "groundbreaking show" at Brighton Fringe 2023.

Mark your calendars for 26-29 May at 6pm, when The Rotunda Theatre will be buzzing with laughter as humans and robots join forces to entertain you.

In this hilarious science comedy show by company Improbotics, AI-powered robots perform alongside their human buddies, as the audience gets to play a live Turing test*. The bots use cutting-edge AI software, like ChatGPT, GPT-4 and Stable Diffusion, to generate dialogue and visuals, while one lucky improviser receives lines via an earpiece, putting their skills to the ultimate test.

But what is the Turing Test? The Turing Test is like a game of "Guess Who?" with a twist: you chat with two mystery guests—one human, one robot—hidden behind a curtain. Your challenge? Figure out who's who just by their responses. If the robot fools you, it passes the test, and we're all left wondering if our pals might secretly be machines! The test was dreamt up by British mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing.

So, think you can tell who's human and who's not? Good luck trying, as the cast attempts to physically and emotionally justify AI-generated nonsense! The troupe has been tickling funny bones since 2016, with rave reviews and awards, including Most Innovative Show Award at the Online Paris Fringe 2020 and a 'Ballsy Award' from Binge Fringe, and a “groundbreaking work” accolade from Fringe Review in 2022.

As Irish comedian Neil Delamere puts it, "It was very funny. And when it did not work, it was even funnier." With gifted creators and AI experts, Dr. Piotr Mirowski, Dr. Kory Mathewson, and Dr. Boyd Branch, you can expect nothing less than a unique, thought-provoking experience that might even make you wish you'd paid more attention in science class!

Improbotics' unique blend of technology and comedy has earned them the praise of Canadian improv legend Colin Mochrie, who said, "Kory and Piotr boldly and hilariously go where no one has ever gone before: actual artificial intelligence improv. I will stick with artificial stupidity."

So, if you're ready for an evening where science meets art, head to The Rotunda Theatre in Brighton between May 26-29 at 6pm. Grab your £12 ticket at brightonfringe.org or rotundatheatre.com and prepare for a laugh-out-loud, "boundary-pushing" experience that will leave you questioning the limits of AI and human creativity.