Are the myths of Pandora and Prometheus a parable for AI?

IN GREEK mythology, Prometheus, a Titan, stole fire from Mount Olympus to give to humans, whom he created. That did not go down well with Zeus, king of the gods. He sentenced Prometheus to the daily torture of having his regenerating liver eaten by an eagle. For mankind, Zeus devised a different punishment. He created Pandora and gave her a jar, which he warned her not to open. When her curiosity got the better of her and Pandora lifted the top, all manner of evil was released into the world. Only hope remained trapped under the lid.

A new production from the San Francisco Ballet reimagines the myth for modern California. Mere Mortals, which premiered on Jan 26 for a limited run, is stylistically and sonically unique. Pandora’s story is an allegory for technological progress, explains Tamara Rojo, the ballet’s artistic director. She commissioned the piece with artificial intelligence (AI) in mind. “It is the perfect story to tell when we’re talking about the moral questions that we should be asking ourselves while developing these new technologies,” says Rojo. Is AI a destructive force that humans have unleashed, an empowering tool offering them godlike power, or both?

When she arrived in San Francisco from the English National Ballet in 2022, Rojo’s goal was to tell stories relevant to the Bay Area and to California. It does not get more relevant than AI. Just west of the opera house is Hayes Valley, a small neighbourhood nicknamed “Cerebral Valley” after all of the AI techies who have moved there.