On April 11, Claremont McKenna College’s Gould Center hosted an AI vs. Human Roast Battle at McKenna Auditorium, where students and faculty faced off against AI-generated celebrity avatars.
The event was curated and presented by ComedyBytes, a New York-based group behind what they described as “the galaxy’s first AI vs. Human roast battle,” according to their website.
ComedyBytes produces sketch comedy shows using AI technology, generating every element of the performance, from scripts to background music, with artificial intelligence. The event featured three roast battles between humans and AI celebrities, along with interludes of AI-programmed sketches.
Eric Doyle, a co-founder of ComedyBytes, hosted the roast battles on stage. Doyle said that after the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, his team explored ways to collaborate with the technology to create something unique. ComedyBytes launched its first show in February 2023 and has continued producing performances at colleges and different venues ever since.
“We looked at what we could do with AI and said to ourselves, ‘How can we work with this and produce something interesting?’” Doyle told TSL. “After our first show, we realized just what AI was capable of.”
Doyle highlighted that the humor in the show came more from the reactions of and interactions between the humans, less from the AI alone.
“It can be used to reflect on what it means to be human and what it means to be funny,” Doyle said.
The first two battles featured current CMC student body president Ava Kopp CM ’25 and Vice President for Student Affairs D.T. Graves, followed by a third round with philosophy professor Paul Hurley. They faced off against AI-generated versions of Drake, Nicki Minaj and an AI recreation of the professor himself, respectively. Winners were determined by audience applause.
In between these battles, segments of AI-produced music, AI mashup images and an AI-talking Greek goddess Athena were showcased. Additionally, another segment included an AI dating show, featuring Lucy Thompson CM ’25 with three “eligible, handsome” AI bachelors for Thompson to choose from.
Behind the scenes was Aman Chopra, who worked on the technology and creative aspects for the comedy shows. Chopra said the creation process was all about learning how to communicate with the AI and getting the right response.
He added that he made all of the music for the show completely with Suno AI and that every song was new and completely original.
“It’s getting really, really good really fast,” Chopra said.
However, he noted that AI will enhance creativity, not replace it.
Graves said the script she was given to read was AI-generated. However, she and the other human contestants were not told ahead of time how the AI celebrities would roast them.
“The show raises interesting questions about human emotions and humor,” she said.
Doyle commented on the broader implications of AI in the future.
“Learning to work with AI in almost all industries will be important because although AI might replace some functions, there will be a need for people who understand how to work with the systems,” he said.
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