Yesterday, we learned that MishMash has been funded. Many people are asking about our plans, so here is a quick overview based on those outlined in the application.

What?

MishMash will be a large Norwegian centre dedicated to exploring the intersection of AI and creativity. Our primary objective is to create, explore, and reflect on AI for, through, and in creative practices. We will investigate AI’s impact on creative processes, develop innovative CoCreative AI systems, and address AI’s ethical, cultural, and societal implications in creative domains.

Our primary research question is: What are AI’s possibilities, limitations, and transformative effects on creative practices, and how can we develop CoCreative AI systems that complement human creativity while addressing ethical, cultural, and societal implications?

Why?

Human creativity has both been shaped and has been shaped by technological developments. Today, human creativity faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities brought by Creative AI, machine systems that can produce results that are both novel and meaningful. This raises several important questions: to what extent are Creative AI systems genuinely creative, how do they differ from human creativity, and how can humans and machines be co‐creative? Furthermore, what are the societal implications of Creative AI, how will producers’ and consumers’ attitudes towards AI‐generated creative content develop, and how can creative approaches to AI have an impact beyond the cultural and creative sectors?

We view artistic exploration as an entry point for engaging in critical discussions about AI and its implications for human‐machine interaction and society. Artistic research has been integral to computer‐based AI development since the early days of computer science, exemplified by early rule‐based systems for music composition and painting. Today, generative systems can produce all sorts of artistic products, and several have become popular commercial products, such as Dall‐E (images), ChatGPT (text), and Suno.ai (music). MishMash aims to expand current knowledge and pioneer new CoCreative AI systems that allow partnerships between humans and machines. We believe researchers and practitioners from creative disciplines are uniquely positioned to develop AI‐based technologies and to do so responsibly, reflecting on their ethical challenges and potential drawbacks. . There are many possibilities with Creative and CoCreative AI systems, but also numerous challenges and knowledge needs:

  • Challenge 1: How can we design and implement real‐time AI systems for immersive, dynamic, and ethical human‐machine collaborations in artistic performances?
  • Challenge 2: How can artists integrate AI into their creative processes while maintaining control and addressing biases, cultural implications, and environmental impact?
  • Challenge 3: How can AI‐generated content and Creative AI systems impact health and well‐being and be integrated into therapeutic practices while considering empathy, consent, and equity?
  • Challenge 4: How can Creative AI be integrated into education to enhance learning and foster AI literacy while considering diversity, justice, inclusion and well‐being?
  • Challenge 5: How can AI enhance innovation in the creative and cultural industries while addressing copyright, rights management, ethical challenges, sustainability, and equitable revenue distribution?
  • Challenge 6: How can AI enhance the preservation, accessibility, and representation of cultural heritage in archives, libraries, and museums while ensuring ethical and legal compliance?
  • Challenge 7: How can Creative AI enhance human agency, control, and expression in problem‐solving while adhering to physical, legal, and societal constraints during the creative process?

How?

MishMash will bring together a large multidisciplinary and cross-sectorial group of researchers and practitioners from the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, design, and engineering.

We have decided to organize MishMash in a “cube” model:

alt text

The plan is that the project’s seven work packages will address the specific challenges mentioned above. To ensure the “mishmash”, we will also utilize three interconnected research approaches to ensure multidisciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration:

  • CREATE: Developing AI systems, tools, frameworks, guidelines, and policies
  • EXPLORE: Utilizing AI in creative practices and applying creative methods in other domains
  • REFLECT: Examining AI’s impacts on humans, culture, and society

The centre will be a lively, virtual research environment, with weekly online meetings, biweekly work package check-ins, monthly thematic seminars, regular public workshops and life-long learning events, and bi-annual symposia with lectures, performances, and exhibitions.

When?

The plan is to formally start the centre in December 2025, recruit doctoral and postdoctoral fellows during the spring of 2026 and get up to full speed from the autumn of 2026. Here is the Gantt chart we provided in the application:

MishMash Gantt chart

We will have to develop this in more detail in the coming months, but I still think the general plan is quite good.

Who?

The research partners include (in alphabetical order based on acronym):

Other partners include (also in alphabetical order):

Numerous international academic and non-academic partners will also be involved, and we will set up an affiliate program for others to join the network and participate in relevant activities.

Ida Jahr, Daniel Nordgård, Alexander Refsum Jensenius MishMash is teamwork. I will direct the centre together with two deputy directors, Ida Jahr (INN) and Daniel Nordgård (UiA). (Foto: UiO)

Outcomes and impacts

MishMash will produce new fundamental knowledge about AI and develop novel AI-based algorithms and tools that will be applied to real-world creative practices. The centre will educate PhD candidates from nearly all Norwegian higher education institutions, offer lifelong learning possibilities for professionals, and partner internationally to enhance Norwegian AI research.

The centre will impact AI and creativity across disciplines, producing innovative practices, ethical guidelines, and policy recommendations. It will address UN SDGs through various work packages, focusing on adaptive AI algorithms, experimental AI art, disability-inclusive AI, education, sustainable growth, cultural heritage, and human-computer co-creation.