Automating Empathy — Can Machines Replace Artistic Performers?

Artist, researcher, and robotic musician Moritz Simon Geist explores whether machines can convey emotions on stage like humans—and what that means for arts and culture.

While algorithms now help create art, the emotional power of live performance in music and theater still belongs to people. But for how long?

Moritz examines the history of non-human performancefrom early animatronics to modern robotic ensembles, highlighting how agency and skill shape audience connection.

Drawing on his own work and others’, he shows how robots, avatars, and algorithms might perform music or theater, and how the Uncanny Valley shapes our emotional response.

Can machines truly match the nuance and empathy of human performers, or will our connection to them always be an illusion?

Can we automate empathy? Moritz invites you to find out.