BIMM launches initiative to prepare students for AI future

BIMM has launched a new initiative to help prepare students for the impact of AI on the creative industries.

AI_Labs seeks to confront the changing landscape through study, experimentation and collaboration with industry experts.

The initiative will cover areas including AI in music composition, AI in film and media, AI-driven artistic performances, and the interplay between human creativity and AI.

While harnessing AI’s potential, the university also aims to tackle the legal and ethical implications of the technology, which recently came to the fore during the walkout of Hollywood actors and screenwriters in the US.

As part of the new initiative, BIMM has hired Warren Barkley, Cloud AI leader at Google, as a visiting professor.

‘It is imperative that our students and lecturers are well-prepared for the AI-driven future and that our university’s operational strategies are optimised to embrace this transformative wave’, said David Jones-Owen, CEO and vice chancellor of BIMM.

‘For the UK to stay at the forefront of the creative industries globally our future artists and industry executives need to be properly equipped.’

Barkley, who led AI teams at Amazon and Microsoft in executive positions before his role at Google, said: ‘The synergy between AI and the creative industries is undeniable. From enhancing music composition to revolutionising visual arts, the application of machine learning to creative industries opens a new world for artists of all types.’

The university has also partnered with DAACI, a company developing next-gen smart and AI creative music tools, to offer masterclasses and internships to students.

BIMM offers courses in modern music, performing arts, filmmaking, and creative technology to over 8,000 students across eight campuses in the UK, Ireland and Germany.

bimm.ac.uk