Source https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/the-many-faces-of-creative-ai-in-musical-composition-and-performance

Robert Laidlow, KCL AI+ Fellow in the Department of Music and Institute for Artificial Intelligence, will give a webinar on the many faces of AI in musical composition and performance as part of the AI Frontiers Series at 2PM on 28 January 2026. Sign up below to receive link.

The Many Faces of Creative AI in Musical Composition and Performance

The relationship between music and artificial intelligence is complex, multi-faceted and fast-moving. Its ongoing reorientation of what a creative act is in the modern world has enormous potential for both new forms of artistic expression and existential risk to the already-fragile creative ecosystem of the 21st century.

This seminar will address the current field, looking back on the long and productive history between the two fields before the recent large language model (LLM) boom, and ahead to the future(s) of human-computer creativity.

Drawing from Robert’s recent research and composition practice, the seminar disentangles different forms of creative AI, distinguishing (architecturally, ethically and sonically) algorithms that creative practitioners find useful and stimulating from those intended to automate or replicate existing human work. It features several audio-visual examples of projects in action and highlights the essential role of creative practice in the design and deployment of emerging technologies.

This event is part of the King’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence’s AI Frontiers series.

Meet the speaker

Dr Robert Laidlow is an AI+ Academic Senior Fellow in the Department of Music at King’s College London. His research interests lie in understanding the aesthetic impact of AI and other advanced technologies on musical composition, performance and listening and in designing ethical, creatively valuable and impactful technologies drawing on humanities scholarship and creative practice. His research and compositions highlight musical performance as an essential space for examining, interpreting and challenging our relationship with emerging technologies and position artistic practice as a necessary part of designing and deploying creative technologies which contribute to an equitable, exciting and creative future. His recent compositions have been commissioned, performed and broadcast by orchestras and festivals around the world.