Queen Mary, a leading research university in the UK, has secured a £1.23 million grant from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for two transformative AI research projects. The grants were awarded as part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s BRAID programme, which aims to bridge responsible AI divides. Queen Mary will be conducting two of the ten research projects chosen for their commitment to responsible development and their potential to bring about positive changes.
The first project, called CREAATIF (Creative Assessment and AI Transition Impact Framework), will be led by Professor David Leslie and Dr Aoife Monks. The project focuses on the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) on the creative industries. It aims to assess the specific challenges and opportunities presented by GenAI for creative professionals and empower them to shape the future of their industry through co-developed impact assessments. The project will collaborate with The Alan Turing Institute, University of the Arts London, and the Institute for the Future of Work, as well as other creative industry partners, to ensure diverse creative voices influence AI policy planning. The project has been awarded funding of £275,000.
The second project, titled Mathematical foundations of intelligence: an ‘Erlangen Programme’ for AI, will be led by Professor Michael Bronstein from Oxford University, in collaboration with researchers from Queen Mary, Imperial College London, Durham University, University of Southampton, and University of Aberdeen. This ambitious five-year project aims to enhance AI methods using principles from geometry, topology, and probability. By delving into the mathematical foundations of intelligence, the project seeks to discover hidden structures in data and improve the understanding of AI models’ functionality and limitations. It has received a grant of £964,000 for Queen Mary’s contribution.
According to Professor Andrew Livingston, Vice-Principal for Research and Innovation at Queen Mary, securing these grants highlights the university’s commitment to responsible and impactful AI research. The CREAATIF project aligns with the university’s focus on human-centric AI, while the Mathematical Foundations project has the potential to unlock groundbreaking advancements in the field. Queen Mary aims to play a leading role in shaping the future of AI and ensuring that its benefits are accessible to all, contributing to a more equitable and just society.
These two projects represent significant milestones for Queen Mary in the field of AI research. The university’s success in securing these highly competitive grants demonstrates its dedication to responsible AI development. By prioritizing the involvement of diverse voices and empowering creative workers and researchers, Queen Mary is paving the way for responsible AI implementation and innovation.
