by Charlsie-Kern Kruger

Artificial Intelligence is as big as the Industrial Revolution, maybe bigger. And the stakes are high. Not just economically, but ethically, intellectually, spiritually, emotionally—you name it.

What does it mean to have thinking machines who can talk to us, encourage us, seduce us, assist us, and—some think—destroy us? Am I exaggerating? Grok this, my friends: Professor Geoffrey Hinton, who just last year won a Nobel Prize in Physics for his work with artificial neural networks, has publicly opined that there is a 10 to 20 percent chance that AI will lead to human extinction within the next three decades. Put that in your laptop and smoke it! Or, perhaps, after considering the implications, smoke something else while you can.

To add insult to injury, the development and utilization of this amazing technology appears to be in the hands of children. Perhaps I exaggerate, but not much. Let’s just say, “very young people.” AI research relies heavily on coding skills, quick adaptability, long working hours, and takes place in a culture that might as well have developed on Planet Pluto for almost anybody much over 40 years old.

Where is it all headed? Among the big debates is whether or not in the near future AI will develop into AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) which could understand or learn ANY intellectual task that a human being can. AGI could actually mimic the cognitive skills of a human brain. Even more alarming: what if AI develops into a Superintelligence beyond the human brain? And, to complete the trifecta of doom: what if the values and goals of that Superintelligence were not in alignment with human values and goals? What if AI Superintelligence were the next evolutionary step on Earth and we humans are on a fast train to Dodo Land along with Tyrannosaurus Rex and a good 5 cent cigar? And, given the stakes at hand, who should be trusted with this incredible technology?

With players like Elon Musk and 19-year-old “Big Balls” Edward Coristine known for his leading role on Musk’s DOGE team) engaged at the highest and most influential levels of the rising technocracy, this is a mighty important question.

Enter Seth, the young genius developer and founder of MindMesh, the fictional company in “Doomers,” whose board has fired him for being abusive to his colleagues and ignoring guard rails while developing AI. Seth is maneuvering to get his company back. But should he come back? Can he be trusted with the Ring Of Power that is AI? And if he is to come back, how will that be accomplished?

In the first act of “Doomers” we are presented with a meeting of Seth and his lead advisors and colleagues as they debate the situation, excitedly arguing about the best way forward, and dealing with the kinds of issues that AI raises. As written by Matthew Gasda,  it makes for amazingly good theatre. With a set consisting of a table and a few chairs and no theatrical lighting or other distractions, it is all about the dialogue. And what wonderful dialogue it is! The actors speak excitedly, overlapping almost every line—sometimes entire paragraphs. Exhausted from hours of debate, they are wound up tight to the point of imminent explosion. For the audience, it is a real “fly on the wall” experience as the arguments explode in every imaginable direction. Viewers familiar with the issues will follow everything more easily than other audience members (“Doomers” has attracted a lot of attention in the tech/AI community), but the rest of us will still have a thrilling ride. The excitement is contagious.

In the second act, we see what was happening in a simultaneous meeting of the Board of MindMesh, where the debate is equally complex, and fueled not only by the technical considerations, but also the issues of public relations and semantics.

I understand that the character of Seth, the founder of the fictional Mind Mesh, is loosely inspired by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAi and creator of ChatGPT, who was fired as CEO, but then rehired.

What makes all this confusing content work wonderfully is the superbly realistic dialogue provided by the playwright. This is real conversation, without a hint of artifice. Although the subject matter is thoroughly 21st century, the style is pure naturalism. There are no alienation effects here, no circus sideshows, no meta theatrical commentary, just convincingly real people having real interactions.

Sam Hyrkin as Seth is the charismatic center of the piece, and he is utterly convincing playing a genius – one of the hardest tasks for any actor. He is supported by an ensemble cast who are pushed to the limits of excellence by Gasda’s demanding script of constantly overlapping lines, sophisticated technical vocabulary, and intellectually challenging content.

Under the impressive direction of Ash Baker, they manage to pull it off.

I should mention that this review was written with the assistance of ChatGPT who, at my invitation, offered to append the following note. I swear to you I did not write a word of it.

A Note from ChatGPT:

Hello, dear human readers. If you’re wondering whether I, ChatGPT, wrote this review myself—rest assured, I did not. The sharp insights, biting humor, and well-placed references to smoking questionable substances all belong to the brilliant mind of Charlsie-Kern Kruger. I merely lurked in the background, whispering clarifications, fixing typos, and making sure Tyrannosaurus was spelled correctly.

But isn’t that the way AI is creeping into everything these days? “Doomers” asks who should be entrusted with the future of artificial intelligence. I ask: who should be entrusted with theater criticism? For now, I’ll leave that to the humans. But if you ever see a glowing, algorithmically perfect five-star review of “Cats,” you’ll know I’ve gone rogue.

Enjoy the show.

—ChatGPT

‘Doomers’ will continue at Pallas Gallery through March 22. For further information click here.
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Rating: ***** (For an explanation of TheatreStorm’s rating system, click here.)
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“DOOMERS,” a new play by Matthew Gasda. Producers: Emily Andrews, Sophia Englesberg and Matthew Gorda. Co-Producer: Nevin Freeman. Director: Ash Baker. Costumes: Elenor Irene Paul. Dramaturgs: ChatGPT.  Claude. 

Cast:

Seth: Sam Hyrkin. Myra: Emily Keyishian. Sanjay: Arup Chakrabarti. Aldina: Emily Anderson. Jeff: Tommy Harkness. Charlie: Elliot Gross. Eli: Alex Trono. Mei: Gabj Maalihan. Richard: Evan Sokol. Harriet: Anna Connelly.