Phoenix Players - AI Policy

Published: July 2026

AI involves a range of ethical complexities, including around its environmental impact; issues with bias and hallucinations; uncredited use of others’ work; and impact on the job market, particularly in the arts. However, it is also increasingly part of our members’ everyday lives, at work, at home, socially and culturally - and can be wielded in ways that support inclusion and efficiency, and lead to a better experience for our community. 

Phoenix members therefore have a variety of opinions about the acceptability of the use of AI - some passionately held. While we know no policy will satisfy every member, we have developed this approach to offer transparency on our organisation’s current position.  

This is not a fixed view; as AI technology increasingly becomes undetectable and inescapable, and as social views on AI shift over time, Phoenix will likely need to update and adapt its approach.

Principles

AI content should never be centre stage

One of the reasons people in our community enjoy being in and watching amateur theatre is that it is special in its human imperfections. It is produced and performed by members of our own community doing their human best. Phoenix is a place where people like us get to try things ourselves, whatever our skill level, and learn and grow.

We will therefore not support overt use of AI in Phoenix’s creative content (music, scripts, design, effects, promotional materials, primary cast materials) where, in the judgement of the committee, its use may undermine Phoenix’s special experience and culture, and alienate parts of our membership.  

AI may be used in the wider creative process with discretion and sensitivity. Examples of this include: 

  • Using AI to brainstorm solutions to a creative problem, where these are then carefully curated by a human

  • Using AI for a creative product with very minor impact, e.g. using an AI filter to participate in an Instagram story trend


Sensitive use of AI can help behind the scenes

AI tools can improve how we manage basic tasks for Phoenix. 

  • They can help increase inclusion, for example, assisting someone with ADHD in organising a rehearsal schedule where they would otherwise struggle. 

  • They can speed up and improve the quality of outcomes for administrative tasks, such as meeting summaries and data reviews. 

  • They can help find solutions to production problems, e.g. reorganising a mic plot to suit various scenarios. 

Phoenix does support the use of AI for these sorts of tasks. However, when used at Phoenix, a human must always double-check this work, as AI tools are still prone to error, hallucination and bias.

Ultimately, the humans using the AI tools will be considered by Phoenix to be responsible for any problems created by those AI tools.