When one sees a 12 panel post on Facebook from a local institution, it’s fair to assume the news isn’t good.

So there was a bit of breath-holding when we read through a post by the Lucille Ball Little Theatre recently. We didn’t have to read much of the statement before we were able to exhale. Aubrey Russell, the theatre’s board president, was discussing the use of artificial intelligence in some of the theatre’s social media and advertising. The news could have been much worse.

We understand the concerns over the use of artificial intelligence. We have them as well in a variety of areas where AI is springing up. In our opinion, the Little Theatre did the right thing over the Memorial Day weekend.. Theatre officials laid down some pretty strong parameters under which it would use AI while making clear that AI won’t affect the product on stage.

Some would argue the movie-going experience has been cheapened somewhat by the use of computer-generated imaging. Set designers and the stage crews do amazing work within the limits of physical tools. That’s part of the magic of live theater, which accomplishes some amazing imagery without the use of computers. That’s true if you’re in a big-city theater or at one of our theaters here in Jamestown.

We also have to be realistic. Smaller organizations are struggling to attract members and volunteers. It’s important to work smarter, not harder. And there are times when artificial intelligence can help with some of the tasks that can distract an organization’s main purpose. In the case of the Little Theatre, that is producing a series of shows each year that both help sustain the theater’s operation but also bring eye-catching, fulfilling theater productions to Jamestown. The days when hundreds of volunteers can be counted upon to perform a variety of menial tasks are gone. Organizations have to find ways to make the most of their limited human capital – and that will mean using technology in ways that it hasn’t been used before.

The important thing is to set limits. And in the arts that means what happens on stage is all human. That isn’t changing at the Lucille Ball Little Theatre. The magic you see being created by the actors and crews, not an algorithm that is outside of local control. And that’s what matters in the grand scheme of things, in our opinion.