Douglas McLennan: Taking opera back from big tech

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Article Published: 15 Apr 2026

By Douglas McLennan

I’m increasingly convinced, after two years of working on a project to track and map how AI is moving through creative industries, that the path forward for opera isn’t about AI replacing any of the components of opera. Rather, a key component of the way forward will be companies seizing the chance to rebuild and own the digital infrastructure that connects them to their communities.

This article was published in the Spring 2026 issue of Opera America Magazine.