Human-Centred and Creative AI in Performative Robots

This chapter discusses two performative robot projects that share a core ethos about the nature of human- centred and creative AI: Embodied Robots for Music (2018 – present) by Craig Vear and Amigóide (2010 – present) by Fabrizio Augusto Poltronieri. Human-centred AI (HC-AI) focuses on the design, development and deployment of intelligent systems that co-operate with humans in real-time in a ‘deep and meaningful way’ (MIT 2019). HC-AI is ‘defined by two goals: (1) the AI system must continually improve by learning from humans while (2) creating an effective and fulfilling human-robot interaction experience’ (Ibid.). The two projects discussed in this chapter both apply these core goals as a central philosophy from which the concepts of Creative AI and Experiential Learning in the context of performative robots are developed. At the centre of this discussion is the articulation of a shift in thinking of what constitutes Creative AI and new HC-AI forms of machine learning from inside the flow of the shared experience between robot and human. The first case study is Embodied Robots for Music which investigates the technical solutions and artistic potential of AI driven robots co-creating with an improvising human musician in real-time. The second Amigóide performs a range of functions according to a predetermined set of coded instructions in search of humans to engage into friendships. These projects are ongoing and are part of the Creative AI ResearchGroup in the Institute of Creative Technologies at De Montfort University