UKTI HUB, supported by UCL Innovation & Enterprise, in collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast AHSS Faculty and the Eutopia Arthouse Film Festival, successfully hosted the seminar "AI Empowering Innovation in Media and Creative Industries." The event delved into cutting-edge advancements and innovative concepts in the media industry, exploring AI's transformative impact on media production and its influence on artistic creation in the field of communications.
The seminar featured a stellar lineup of speakers, including Ben Huss-Smickler (VR/AR/XR expert and mentor at UCL Creative and Cultural Industries Institute), Niall Hill (Lecturer at UCL and Chief Producer at BBC VR Hub), Àngels Trias-i-Valls(Associate Professor and Head of Department, Economics and Digital Anthropology, Regent’s University London), Dr. Guosheng Hu (Research Director at Oosto and Honorary Professor at Queen’s University Belfast), Ryan Stone(Creative Director of Lambda Film), and Professor Xiang Wang (National-Level Director and Faculty Member at Beijing Film Academy).
Session Recap
AI, Culture, and Virtual Environments: Àngels Trias-i-Valls
The first speaker, *Àngels Trias-i-Valls,* explored the relationship between AI, culture, and virtual environments, with a special focus on the metaverse as a new form of social interaction. Using the immersive co-creation platform *Spatial.io* as a case study, she highlighted how AI is reshaping cultural practices within virtual spaces.
Immersive AI Experiences: Ben Huss-Smickler
Next, Ben Huss-Smickler, Lecturer at UCL and an expert in VR/AR/XR, presented the latest advances in AI for creative industries. He discussed voice cloning, 3D model generation, 360-degree imaging, and cutting-edge technologies such as 3D Gaussian Splatting and Neural Radiance Fields (NERFs).Ben also gave a preliminary demonstration of Sprigs, a novel collaborative tool he is developing to create immersive experiences.
AI in Visual Media: Ryan Stone
Ryan Stone, Creative Director at Lambda Film, offered a creative exploration of AI applications in visual media. He showcased examples from Lambda Film's past AI-powered productions, illustrating how AI has transformed the field of audiovisual storytelling by enhancing creative possibilities and streamlining workflows.
AI-Generated Soundscapes: Niall Hill
Niall Hill,BBC VR Hub Chief Producer and Lecturer at UCL, shared his experiences with AI-generated soundscapes. Using a BBC sound project as an example, he demonstrated the capabilities of AI in creating hyper-realistic audio. Attendees listened to AI-generated sound samples, experiencing firsthand the realism and creativity AI brings to sound design.
Text-to-Image AI: Dr. Guosheng Hu
Joining remotely, Dr. Guosheng Hu,Research Director at Oosto and Honorary Professor at Queen’s University Belfast, provided an in-depth explanation of text-to-image AI. He explored the technology’s principles and applications, showcasing how AI uses big data and machine learning models to transform textual inputs into high-quality visual outputs.
AI in Film Media: Professor Xiang Wang
Professor Xiang Wang, a National-Level Director and educator at Beijing Film Academy, also joined remotely. Xiang, who collaborates closely with the Ideal Nation Art Film Festival, shared insights from his exploration of AI in film and media. He also highlighted student works from Beijing Film Academy that reflect innovative uses of AI in filmmaking.
Roundtable Discussion
The seminar culminated in a dynamic roundtable discussion featuring all speakers. Topics included the future of AI in media, the impact of next-generation AI video and music technologies, and the challenges of job redistribution. The panel also addressed ethical considerations in adopting these technologies. The audience engaged actively, contributing to a lively exchange of ideas.
Networking Session
The seminar concluded with a networking session, where participants and speakers exchanged insights and established potential collaborative opportunities.
With the support of UCL Innovation & Enterprise, this UKTI HUB event fostered meaningful interactions between academic and industry leaders in the media sector. The seminar served as a platform for discussing cutting-edge media technologies and exchanging ideas, paving the way for future technological applications and interdisciplinary research. Participants left inspired, with new insights and opportunities for collaboration.
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