In live events, people often talk about artificial intelligence as if it is somewhere on the horizon. For those of us working inside the mix every day, AI is not theoretical anymore. It is already part of the signal chain, showing up in remote workflows, noise management, and real-time processing tools that grow more capable with every update.
The future did not wait. It plugged in, synced up, and joined the gig.
So what does that actually mean for engineers? The answer is simple. The landscape is shifting, but the fundamentals are not.
AI Is a Tool. Not the Talent.
There is plenty of conversation about automation in creative technical work. But in live audio, AI is not mixing a show on its own. It is not making judgment calls. It is not reading a presenter’s body language, noticing a tightening voice, or adjusting EQ because the room suddenly filled with five hundred extra people… yet. We can easily see a world where room and atmospheric data is analyzed in real-time, while adjusting system parameters accordingly, among other things. Still, it would be a process that should require human guardrails.
What AI can do right now is helpful. What it cannot do is essential.
It can’t read the emotional tone of a moment. It won’t make the creative calls that shape a show. It doesn’t build trust with clients. It won’t feel the unpredictable energy of a live room. You can program these tools to do amazing things, but one thing is for sure: it will never replace your ear or your intuition.
Engineers Still Bring the Most Important Piece to the Mix.
Live sound has always been a human-centered craft. It depends on instinct, communication, judgment, and the ability to remain steady when the pressure rises.
An engineer does more than operate gear. They read a room. They collaborate. They know when to bend a rule because the moment calls for it. They see problems forming before anyone else notices.
AI can help, but it cannot do that. At Protostream, we have always believed the best technology in the world means nothing without the right people behind it. That belief does not change with new tools. It becomes even more true.
AI Isn’t the Future of Live Audio. It’s a New Ingredient.
The arrival of AI doesn’t signal the end of the engineer. It signals the start of a new era of collaboration, where humans and intelligent tools work together to create richer, more reliable, more flexible productions.
At Protostream, we’re not waiting to see how AI shakes out. We’re engaging with it now, asking harder questions, and building workflows that keep craft at the center.
Because the story of live sound has always been the same: Tools evolve. Technology expands. But the person behind the mix, their ear, their judgment, their collaboration, that’s the heart of every great show.
And that part isn’t going anywhere.