This set of guidelines will create some clarity for new participants in the discussion of AI use in creative work. It’s a complicated issue, one that Hollywood Fringe recognizes its position in as a producer of creative capital.
While we recognize there are many layers to the AI conversation, for the sake of our festival guidelines, we will simplify it to two basic categories. Creative AI, which focuses on generating new, original content, and Administrative AI, which focuses on automating repetitive, rule-based tasks.
We are not against the use of AI to help creatives get shit done (Administrative AI). We are against the idea that AI can do what you do: create healthy, reciprocal, emotional connection with other humans (Creative AI).
Something to remember, the use of AI in finished products is next to impossible to keep secret. Your fellow artists and audience notice. What creative impression do you want to have?
Hollywood Fringe makes a commitment to put artists first and to provide transparency about our staff's commitment to limit our use of AI to administrative assistance. We hope you will make the same commitment.
We believe the human experience is essential to the creation of all art. You, your story, and vision are enough.
The following AI issues have come up with artists at our 2025 festival. We’ve highlighted these issues, why they exist, and some potential pivots you can make:
Issue: Generating imagery via AI for your marketing without specific intention to talk about artificial intelligence in your show.
- Why it’s a problem: It’s important that we do not replace a very vital part of our industry: visual creatives. Having appealing imagery is one of the most important factors in marketing your show. Even with the best of software, many AI images can be spotted. Using this imagery may give the impression that you do not care enough about your show to create bespoke imagery.
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Fix: Create your own artwork, hire a graphic artist or go the editorial route and use photo imagery. Fringe is a safe space to start small and grow your show. Your artwork does not need to be perfect or Broadway-level. There are discounts for designers in our community available here!
Issue: Using AI text within your script
- Why it’s a problem: Your words will always be more relatable and human than AI. Your audience wants to hear from you, that’s why they bought a ticket. Also, artists can tell when something was written by you or by AI, and most creative critics + industry will not appreciate noticing robotic language within your script (unless it’s apparently intentional within the ethos of your show).
- Fix: Meet your fellow creatives at Fringe events and plan a time to brainstorm on ideas you’re stuck on (or message them on the Fringe site to get coffee, hang at a park, have a quick call, group chat etc). Prefer to use AI to get a jumpstart? Don’t forget to have a human second round. Get that honest, community feedback before bringing it to the world.
Below are additional intentions used by our Board of Directors and staff. We are simply making them public so that you can create your own choices for your creative teams.
For the office, we will use AI to:
- Create efficiencies in sorting + analyzing data in a cleaner and faster way.
- Create efficient meeting summaries after Zoom calls to allow for our small team to communicate efficiently with one another.
- In researching synthesis + analysis for new opportunities or ideas for fundraising, event planning, marketing, and operations.
- Our editors, designers, and staff may use AI tools within the creative process to simplify video + photo editing, but not as a replacement for our editors or designers or as the main creative tool. Images, videos or final products will never be generated by AI.
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Increase accessibility (digital meeting captioning + notes)
Some questions we ask our teams to ask before using AI
- Am I using this tool towards my own efficiency at work, therefore extending our small organizational capacity?
- Does the AI tool I am using increase accessibility?
- Could I do this task without AI in the same amount of time?
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What is the ecological impact of the task I am thinking about using this for? Is it a greater impact than other online tools?
What Hollywood Fringe staff and board won’t do:
- Replace our editors and designers with AI
- Use AI to jump off ideas for programming (these suggestions come from our human advisory spaces).
- Use personal information, intellectual property, or other data that we do not have permission to run through other folks’ databases in our processes.
- Blame AI for errors: we, as the users of this technology, are accountable for their outcomes. We must double-check our work, validate facts, and ensure the work aligns with Hollywood Fringe’s values, goals, and mission.
AI is an evolving field, and we’re excited to see it grow into a tool for creating efficiencies that bring us all back to what matters most: making the actual art and connecting with our audiences.
RESOURCES
Visual Marketing Workshops:
Canva Design School (Canva has a limited free version): A great (free) program for non-designer folks who are new to social media marketing to brush up on their skills. A lot of their free courses can be so helpful in learning how to create your own branded content without any prior experience!
https://www.canva.com/design-school/
Adobe Suite (Adobe Express has a free version): More used to the adobe style? Take some more advanced design classes for free with a subscription.
https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/courses
Hire a designer: There are many designers in our community that are offering discounts here!