Premiering at the United Nations’ AI for Good Global Summit 2025, Re.imagine: Resonant Augmenta is a collaborative performance designed to develop an opening performance that moves beyond the technical utility of artificial intelligence to explore its role in human collaboration. For this summit, we were commissioned to address the inherent friction between rigid machine logic and the fluid nature of musical performance. By integrating a generative AI pianist with a traditional string quintet, we sought to transform data processing into a responsive medium for musical dialogue.
This multidisciplinary project involves collaboration with violinist Nguyễn Thiện Minh, the UK-based artist Harry Yeff (ReepsOne) and the Scottish Ballet to create an ecosystem where sound, movement, and data converge. The technical architecture of the performance utilizes generative technologies to translate the nuances of human gesture and rhythmic timing into live piano compositions. Rather than acting as a mechanism of control, the software functions as a participant that perceives and adapts to the performers, shifting the role of AI from a passive tool to a co-creator within a shared spatial environment.
The performance is organized into three distinct movements that track the maturation of this digital relationship. It begins with First Contact, where the system initiates its processing of human input, followed by Evolution, a stage characterized by a more complex, reactive dialogue between the musicians and the machine. The final phase, Unity, demonstrates a convergence where the AI pianist maintains presence and synchronized attention with the dancers and quintet. This structure allows for a reinterpretation of traditional performance rituals through new media art, emphasizing a heightened sense of presence for both the performers and the audience.
Premiering before an international audience of scientists and global leaders, the work attracted over 11,000 participants from 169 countries, serving as a benchmark for the ethical and cultural integration of emerging technology. This piece is a narrative environment where innovation offers new definitions for art, redefining the relationship between innovation and tradition, allowing the AI to act as a medium for resonance rather than control. Ultimately, the work demonstrated how new media art can provide a perspective for ethical technological integration, fostering a sense of shared presence and connection within a global cultural story.
