Exchange Talk: Art and Virtual Reality - Robert Laidlow

Find out more about using “AI” in creatively useful and ethical ways through the long history of composing, performing and thinking surrounding music and intelligent machines.

Robert Laidlow takes a look at the long history of composing, performing and thinking surrounding music and intelligent machines, from the 19th century to the modern day – and examines what relationship this has, if any, with the commercial prompt-based models that dominate the conversation around AI today. He draws examples from his own work and other artists that use different types of “AI” in creatively useful and ethical ways to explore the evolving relationship between humans and algorithms and the role that music can play in establishing an equitable future for this technology.

Robert Laidlow’s “gigantically imaginative” (BBC Radio 3) music discovers new forms of creative expression through colliding advanced technology, scientific collaboration, and live performance. His orchestral music includes ‘Silicon’ for orchestra and artificial intelligence (BBC Philharmonic), ‘Exoplanets’, made in collaboration with James Webb Space Telescope astrophysicists (London Philharmonic & Basel Interfinity Festival), and ‘TECHNO-UTOPIA’ (BBC Radio 3 & Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra) which sees the orchestra embedded with newly-developed expressive AI instruments. He is a Senior Fellow at the Department of Music, King’s College London, a governor of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and an Associate Artist of the Royal Northern College of Music.

Robert Laidlow | Composer