As immersive technologies merge with AI-driven platforms, the boundaries between physical and digital life are rapidly dissolving - bringing new ethical, legal, and safety challenges into focus. This article examines the history of virtual harm in online and XR environments, from early text-based worlds to contemporary VR gaming and performance spaces, and argues for a privacy-first framework as the foundation for immersive safety. By analyzing legal gaps, platform accountability, and global policy efforts, it proposes digital “guardrails” that prioritize user dignity, data protection, and well-being as core design principles rather than afterthoughts.
This article explores the intersection of digital art, NFTs, and community governance through the lens of the furry fandom, a decentralized community of artists and enthusiasts. With the rise of NFTs, the ability to authenticate digital art and protect creators' work has become a critical concern. The study examines the resistance within the furry community to adopt NFTs, highlighting their reliance on community-based trust and governance over "trustless" blockchain systems. While some see potential in NFTs to safeguard intellectual property, many furries are skeptical, valuing social trust and ethics over commercialization. By studying the furry subculture's approach to art ownership and the challenges they face, the article poses larger questions about the future of NFTs and blockchain technology in creative spaces.
As technology continues to reshape the arts and entertainment landscape, our readers and listeners have shown a clear appetite for understanding these transformations. From AI's role in creative processes to the evolution of virtual reality and streaming, this year's most popular content reveals the questions on everyone's minds.
This article explores the rise of virtual production (VP) and its impact on contemporary filmmaking through the use of large-scale LED volumes that merge physical sets with real-time digital environments. Using high-profile productions such as The Mandalorian and 1899 as case studies, it examines how VP reshapes creative workflows across departments, redistributes labor rather than eliminating it, and demands new hybrid skill sets from designers, location managers, and technicians. The piece also addresses the role of labor unions and training programs in adapting to emerging technologies, alongside the economic challenges of scalability, access, and high upfront costs. Ultimately, the article positions virtual production as a transformative - yet uneven - evolution in the entertainment industry, emphasizing the need for equitable training and infrastructure as VP becomes a lasting mode of production.
This article explores how extended reality (XR) - including augmented, mixed, and virtual reality - is reshaping acting training by layering immersive technologies onto long-established methods like Stanislavski-based technique and the Method. Drawing on examples from Basrah to Juilliard and Odin Teatret, the piece shows how XR can deepen character work, expand dramaturgical research, and personalize feedback through data-driven simulations. At the same time, it raises urgent legal, ethical, and social questions around biometric data, FERPA and HIPAA protections, digital Blackface, and harassment in virtual spaces. Rather than treating XR as a magic solution, the article argues that thoughtful pedagogy, clear institutional policies, and equity-minded design are essential if these tools are to support - not replace - human-centered theatre education.
How can galleries, libraries, archives and museums create long-term value with open data? Can cultural institutions become leaders for social innovation by opening data? Open data advocates argue that yes, they can, but only if they are able to translate that data into useable knowledge. AMT Lab Contributor Sarah Weber investigates.
Jami Rutherford is a project manager with Cloud for Good, a Salesforce Consulting Partner and Certified B Corporation that helps nonprofits advance their mission via the Salesforce platform. Jami recently sat down with AMT Lab contributor Katie Grennan to discuss how she has seen technology impact the arts industry and what she feels the future holds for the increasing intersection points between the two.
Reselling tickets at prices above face value on the secondary market, otherwise known as ticket scalping, is a common practice in the United States. But how has the internet and advancing technology empowered scalpers at the expense of arts organizations? AMT Lab Contributor Katie Grennan investigates.
As new technologies emerge in the market, museums are able to enhance visitor experiences through innovative tools, allowing for increased accessibility and interaction with the visitors.
Here are five exciting technologies that are upending traditional notions at many museums across the world, and changing the way museums can present their exhibitions and in-gallery experiences.
When you need a book, you no longer jump in a car and drive to a bookstore. Instead, with just a few clicks on the computer, your book will be waiting at your front door in two days or instantly online. E-Commerce has become a natural and regular part of people’s lives, and nonprofits should evaluate this trend when managing their revenue sources.
How are marketing departments at large American Opera institutions using their data? This new Whitepaper by AMT-Lab Contributor Kevin O'Hora uses four case studies to paint a picture of how companies are using data acquired by their website. Full of insights for marketing departments across disciplines, this publication includes software recommendations as well as general strategies and best practices applicable to any arts marketer.
Virtual Reality has helped researchers make significant advancements in treating burn patients, phobias, PTSD, and learning disabilities. As the technology moves into museums, it presents an exciting opportunity for improved accessibility initiatives, potentially allowing visitors with autism and sensory-learning disabilities to enjoy a customizable museum experience in a safe, controlled environment.
This semester, several AMT-Lab contributors are exploring the potential uses of virtual reality in the arts. Virtual reality technology provides a new perspective for audiences that is easily accessible, requiring equipment sometimes as simple as a smartphone. Because of emerging virtual reality technology, not only do artists have different ways to explore their work, but they also have a new way to engage and interact with their audience. Here is a selection of recent articles that explore how virtual reality technology is transforming the arts.
Despite the development of technologies that allow businesses to operate more efficiently and transparently, it remains difficult for an outsider to see and understand the way in which the music industry pays its artists. The cash flow is becoming more convoluted with an increased diversity of options for consuming music, making it more difficult for artists—even those in the industry—to track how their royalties are calculated. AMT Lab Contributor Colin Baylor explores some potential solutions for this broken system.
In this new publication, AMT Lab Contributor Wanqi Peng shares her research on the current state of arts education in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Included in the report is an overview of the field, a summary of trends in digital arts courses, and a course study following a pioneer of online arts education. Download the full report here.
Are you curious about beacon technology? Perhaps you're wondering how you should go about choosing a beacon hardware provider. Or maybe you are considering how you would use this technology in your performing arts organization. AMT Lab Contributor Kate Martin has created an infographic to get you started answering these questions.
Customer Relationship Management systems (CRM) are a vital element at the heart of many arts organizations. Databases can provide invaluable information to marketers, fundraisers, and box office staff alike. This week’s throwback takes a look at some of AMT Lab’s more popular interviews and features concerning CRM systems.
