Yesterday, I received a brief phone call from the Research Council of Norway, where I was asked to come to UiO’s University Library today. The very pleasant message was that our bid for a Norwegian AI centre had been selected by the committee: MishMash Centre for AI and Creativity will be a reality!

Today’s press release was a high-profile event with both the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, and Minister of Research and Higher Education, Sigrun Aasland, present.

During the press conference, I held a 2-minute presentation of our initiative together with the research director from the National Library, Hege Høsøien.

A recording of the press conference where I presented MishMash.

MishMash in 2 minutes

Here is a quick translation of the speech we held:

Can Artificial Intelligence be creative?

At the MishMash Centre for AI and Creativity, we aim to explore the intersection between humans and machines.

We will develop new AI models focusing on small-scale systems, sustainability, diversity, privacy, and copyright. These models will be tested in various creative practices, such as music, dance, literature, film, and games. Additionally, we will apply them in other contexts requiring creative solutions, for example, teaching a robot to navigate rocky terrain by learning from dance improvisation.

We will test the use of creative AI in higher education, schools, healthcare, therapy, and creative industries. We are particularly interested in examining how AI development impacts creativity and creative industries.

Creativity is about creating something new, but the new must also have value. This requires understanding our history and past creativity. That is why I am pleased that we have such a strong collaboration with the National Library, which preserves Norway’s creative heritage.

Hege Stensrud Høsøien from the National Library: What do you see as the main challenges regarding AI?

We see that cultural heritage is under pressure in entirely new ways. The National Library holds one of Norway’s largest collections, and many want to use it to train models. The challenge is to make the collection as accessible as possible, while safeguarding a vibrant cultural life and those who create cultural heritage. We look forward to collaborating with researchers and industry in MishMash to find concrete solutions for both preserving and utilizing cultural heritage in the future.

MishMash is a large project. We have gathered about 100 researchers from nearly all universities and colleges in Norway. Many of the largest cultural institutions are involved, along with several industry players and trade organizations. The goal is to create a vibrant meeting place to explore AI at the intersection of humans and machines and at the crossroads of artistic and scientific research. This will be exciting!

Busy day

It has turned out to be a busy day with lots of interviews, an appearance at a large conference on digitalization, and rounded off with a discussion with the minister about the new centres on national radio.

Alexander Refsum Jensenius on national radio Discussing the new AI centres with Minister of Research and Higher Education, Sigrun Aasland and OsloMet rector Christen Krogh.

NRK had asked if I could demo some “music and AI” for only a few seconds live. Not the easiest task, but I decided to bring synth.is, an online synthesizer using evolutionary algorithms developed by RITMO PhD fellow Björn Thor Jónsson. It is not particularly audible on radio, so I highly encourage people to try it themselves, it is great fun!

Many people have asked about more information about MishMash, and I will provide that in the days to come. For now, time to rest.

Ida Jahr, Daniel Nordgård, Alexander Refsum Jensenius Me and my two MishMash deputy directors, Ida Jahr (INN) and Daniel Nordgård (UiA) (Photo: UiO)