Concordia University of Edmonton secures funding for building connections between emerging technologies and fine arts

Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded $25,000 from Alberta Innovates’ Strategic Networking and Development Grants program. This funding will support an exciting new project title, Intelligent and Immersive Technologies for Humanities, aimed at fostering collaboration and innovation by connecting the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (XR) industries with the humanities, with a particular focus on the fine arts program.

Emerging technologies such as AI and XR have transformed our society into a networked and knowledge-aware environment. Integration of such technologies in higher education, specifically humanities related fields such as fine arts, has grown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, art galleries and museums have launched online viewing rooms and are exploring utilization of immersive technologies as an alternate to in-person tours. AI technologies such as computer vision and natural language processing are altering the ways in which historians analyze architectural and ancient artifacts.

Through workshops, seminars, and collaborative projects, participants will explore the potential of AI and XR technologies in enhancing artistic expression, storytelling, immersive experiences, and audience engagement. As part of this project, an introductory workshop on Bardo, an AI tool that uses speech recognition to match emotive music to the words being spoken during tabletop Role Playing Games (RPG), was held as part of the Fine Arts Festival of Performance and Research from April 13-16 at CUE. Bardo was also highlighted by Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute as a sponsor for the Juno Awards earlier this year, and was recognized for enhancing the overall experience for RPG players.

This collaborative initiative, led by Fine Arts faculty (Drs. Danielle Lisboa, Glenda Stirling and Bill Anderson) and the CUE Innovation Hub, will create opportunities for merging the realms of emerging technologies, creativity, and human expression. By bridging the gap between AI, XR, and the fine arts, this project seeks to explore innovative ways to leverage cutting-edge technologies in the pursuit of artistic excellence and transformative experiences.

“This funding from Alberta Innovates is a tremendous opportunity for CUE to explore initiatives that intersect AI, XR, and the fine arts, and empower our students to integrate into the digital economy,” said Dr. Brett Buchanan, Dean, Faculty of Arts. 

“By fostering collaboration between emerging technology sectors and fine arts, we aim to unlock new possibilities, inspire creative expression, and drive meaningful innovation. This project will undoubtedly position our institution at the forefront of interdisciplinary exploration and contribute to the thriving arts and technology landscape in Alberta.” says Dr. Isha Katyal, Associate Vice-President, Innovation at CUE.

Keep an eye out for hands-on-training workshops and interactive panel discussions in Fall 2023!

For more information on this announcement, please reach out to Dr. Isha Katyal, Associate Vice-President, Innovation at innovation@concordia.ab.ca.

*This workshop is funded by the Alberta Innovates Strategic Network and Development Program Grant