Baghdad: The deadline for submissions to the 17th edition of the Adults +18 Playwriting Competition has passed. This year's competition, organized by the Arab Theatre Institute, was titled "Humanity in a Post-Human World." The competition invited Arab playwrights to explore the challenges and responsibilities posed by artificial intelligence and rapid technological advancements, questioning whether humanity has created its own adversary.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Arab Theatre Institute selected this theme to address a gap in Arab playwriting literature concerning the impact of technology on humanity. The competition sought to inspire playwrights to illuminate the complex relationship between humans and technology using their creativity and imagination. The focus was on human creativity in dramatic literature, emphasizing the unique human capacity to produce creative texts, despite potential flaws or errors.

The institute made it clear that the competition was not a platform for artificial intelligence programs to showcase their ability to generate theatrical texts. Instead, it celebrated human creativity, intellectual depth, and philosophical insight. The use of artificial intelligence was acknowledged as legitimate, but it raised questions about intellectual property rights. The institute highlighted the ethical considerations surrounding the authorship and ownership of texts where AI contributed, stressing the importance of acknowledging AI's involvement in the creation process.

Ultimately, the Arab Theatre Institute encouraged transparency in authorship, suggesting that writers who use AI should credit both themselves and the software on their work's cover. This acknowledgment would reflect their collaborative efforts in writing, drafting, and proofreading the text. The competition aimed to stimulate discussion on the ethical dimensions of using AI in creative endeavors and to promote a broader understanding of human and technological synergy in the arts.