Universities are beginning to systematically study how artificial intelligence reshapes creative fields, moving beyond hype to examine the ethical and philosophical implications of AI tools in music, film, and visual art. Binghamton University recently awarded nearly $100,000 in seed grants to four interdisciplinary research projects exploring how artists can use generative AI as a creative partner rather than a replacement, and what aspects of human creativity remain fundamentally irreducible to machines.

What Happens When AI Becomes a Musical Collaborator?

One of the most intriguing projects involves real-time musical improvisation between human performers and generative AI. James Budinich, a lecturer in music composition and creative sound technologies, and Gregory Evans, an assistant professor of music, received $12,530 to explore how AI can respond in real time to live performance data, essentially becoming a new musical "partner" for human instrumentalists.

The project will feature a workshop this fall, followed by live performances premiering at Binghamton University, New York City, and Ithaca, with guest violist Stephanie Griffin. What makes this approach distinctive is its emphasis on unpredictability. "Each time it's performed, it has a whole new liveness to it, a whole new identity," Budinich explained. "I think that is interesting, because then it may change the way we think about documentation for music, what the role of performance is, and how AI can help that."

"It's really great to see Binghamton supporting this and looking toward AI in the arts and humanities. I think it's important right now for all of us, because it's so prevalent in all of our lives now," said James Budinich, lecturer in music composition and creative sound technologies at Binghamton University.

James Budinich, Lecturer in Music Composition and Creative Sound Technologies, Binghamton University

Rather than treating AI as a tool that either replaces human creativity or should be rejected entirely, Budinich emphasized the need for ethical partnership. "We're constantly being asked to use AI, but it's important that we find ways to use AI more ethically, as more of a partner in the creative or research-based process, instead of just churning out its own research or creation," he noted.

Budinich

How Are Researchers Balancing AI Adoption With Artistic Agency?

A second project, funded with $37,500, addresses a critical gap in how artists approach generative AI. Magdalena Bermudez and Jason Bernagozzi, both assistant professors in the Cinema Department, are investigating how creatives can retain their own agency as artists while using AI technologies. They plan to develop a responsive machine learning system that combines historical and contemporary cinematic and audio technologies in conversation with other AI tools.

This research recognizes a real tension: as generative AI advances, artists often feel pressured to adopt it entirely or reject it wholesale. The Bermudez-Bernagozzi project seeks a middle path, exploring workflows where human creative control remains central.

Steps to Integrate AI Into Creative Practice Responsibly

• Treat AI as a Collaborator: Frame generative AI as a creative partner that responds to human input and direction, rather than as a replacement for human decision-making or a fully autonomous creative agent.
• Maintain Artistic Agency: Develop workflows and systems that preserve the artist's control over the final output, ensuring that human judgment and aesthetic choices remain central to the creative process.
• Explore Ethical Frameworks: Investigate the philosophical and ethical implications of AI in your specific creative field, asking questions about authenticity, authorship, and the role of technology in artistic expression.

What Aspects of Human Creativity Can AI Actually Not Replicate?

A third research initiative, funded with $32,000, takes a provocative approach: it asks what AI fundamentally cannot see or understand. The project, titled "Against Detection: Investigating Human and Machine Vision Through Print-Based Practice," is a collaboration between the departments of Art and Design and Digital and Data Studies.

Researchers including Christopher Swift, Alexandros Skouras, Ruth Carpenter, and Gregory Hallenbeck will experiment with different kinds of artworks, from wearables to painted surfaces, to identify what trips up algorithmic interpretations. They plan to generate three classes of images: prints that remain unclassifiable to computer vision, images that humans and machines perceive differently, and traditional artworks that are detectable but remain incomprehensible to AI systems.

This research directly challenges the assumption that AI can eventually understand and replicate all aspects of human creativity. By deliberately creating works designed to confound machine vision, the team is mapping the boundaries of what remains "irreducibly human" in visual art.

Can AI Really Understand Literature the Way Humans Do?

The fourth funded project, receiving $17,500, examines how generative AI systems interpret literary fiction. Throughout history, literature has served as a crucial marker of social knowledge, helping readers grapple with moral dilemmas, diverse perspectives, and pressing cultural issues. Fiction builds empathy and critical thinking skills, both essential during times of social division.

Junting Huang, an assistant professor of comparative literature; Sujoy Sikdar, an assistant professor in the School of Computing; and William Hayes, an assistant professor of psychology, will curate at least 30 works of literature from around the world. They will test how multiple Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) configurations, a technique that allows AI systems to reference external documents while generating responses, perform against more than 150 annotated question-answer pairs.

The goal is to test the extent of AI's capacity for literary interpretation and identify where these systems might fall short. This research matters because it directly addresses whether AI can engage with the nuanced, culturally embedded meanings that make literature powerful.

Why Universities Are Investing in AI Arts Research Now

The Provost Awards for Research Grants, which funded these four projects, represent a deliberate institutional choice to examine AI's impact on creative fields before the technology becomes fully embedded in artistic practice. The funding, provided over an 18-month period, comes from a special endowed fund established by the state of New York, matched by a private donation to the Binghamton University Foundation.

This research reflects a broader recognition that AI's impact on the arts requires the same rigorous, multidisciplinary investigation that technology companies and policymakers apply to other domains. By bringing together musicians, filmmakers, visual artists, computer scientists, and humanists, these projects model how creative industries can take control of AI technology rather than having it imposed upon them.

Budinich emphasized the significance of this institutional support: "This is huge for me. It's really a great resource that the provost has created for Binghamton's faculty. It's pushing my practice in a whole new direction, and without this funding, I wouldn't have the chance to really focus on this project".

Budinich