BI receives 12 million NOK for a research project on AI in the cultural sector
11 October 2024"This is a fantastic opportunity to explore how technology is changing the way we create, communicate, and experience culture," says BI professor Anne-Britt Gran.
The Research Council of Norway has granted 12 million NOK to a research project at BI Norwegian Business School, which will examine how artificial intelligence (AI) and hybrid/virtual technologies affect the cultural sector, with a focus on museums and art, as well as performing arts and film.
Artificial intelligence has made its way into creative professions, challenging human creativity and fundamentally transforming how value is created in the cultural sector. AI can now generate cultural content such as music, design, film scripts, and art. While some recognize new possibilities, others encounter major challenges, such as the threat of losing income as AI produces content more quickly and at lower cost.
Project Leader Anne-Britt Gran with colleague and project partner Peter Booth.
The project is led by Anne-Britt Gran, professor at the Department of Communication and Culture and co-director of the BI Centre for Creative Industries, where the project is based. She expresses great enthusiasm for the funding:
"This allows us to shed light on value creation in the cultural sector in new ways," says Gran.
New Structures in the Cultural Sector
Harald Øverby, Provost for Research, Learning and Impact at BI emphasizes the importance of the project:
"This is an important research field that BI is proud to contribute to. The project will enhance our understanding of how technology can affect cultural institutions and society as a whole."
Hybrid and virtual technologies are also expanding the digital cultural offerings, but it is challenging to make these services economically sustainable while ensuring fair compensation for artists’ work.
"New technology is fundamentally changing structures in the cultural sector. This research project will provide the necessary knowledge to understand and manage these changes," says Peter Booth, Associate Professor at the Department of Communication and Culture and co-director of the BI Centre for Creative Industries.
The findings from the research will be used to provide concrete policy recommendations on how the cultural sector can address these challenges, and how cultural policy and the legal framework can be adapted to respond to this transformative technology.
Facts
BI researchers Anne-Britt Gran, Peter Booth, Samson Esayas, and Irina Eidsvold-Tøien will research how these transformative technologies affect work methods and value creation in the cultural sector, in collaboration with researchers from Copenhagen Business School, Kristiania University College and the Centre for Philosophy and AI Research at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität.