The Australian winter invites reflection. Reflections such as, “Why doesn’t my house have any insulation?” And “Is it OK to wear a woolly hat in bed?”

In-between such thoughts, it also encourages us to linger a little longer with big questions and this July issue of Limelight does exactly that, bringing together artists, thinkers and musicians who are navigating the spaces between tradition and innovation, memory and imagination, certainty and possibility.

Our cover story this month addresses one of the defining questions of our time: what role should artificial intelligence play in the arts? In Aid or Adversary?, arts journalist Steve Dow speaks with academics, writers and creative practitioners about AI’s growing influence on culture and asks: Could a machine ever produce something as profound as Shakespeare? Should artists embrace these technologies or resist them?

The answers are as varied as the people asked, but together they reveal both the excitement and unease surrounding a technological revolution that is already reshaping creative life.

Questions of legacy and continuity also run through Christopher Lawrence‘s feature on the Australian World Orchestra, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Alexander Briger and CEO...