Maya Ackerman: AI, Theory of Mind, and the Rise of Humble Creative Machines

In this episode, we talk with Maya Ackerman, an AI researcher and entrepreneur at the forefront of AI-assisted creativity. She shares how her journey from machine learning research to opera singing led to the creation of Wave AI, a company focused on co-creative AI tools for songwriting.Maya Ackerman explores how AI can be a true creative collaborator, rather than just a content generator. She introduces the concept of “humble creative machines”, AI that enhances human creativity while keeping artists in control. We discuss AI’s theory of mind, biases in generative models, and the future of AI-assisted songwriting.Dr. Maya Ackerman is a world-renowned expert in artificial intelligence and creativity, focusing on co-creativity and its transformative potential across industries. Ackerman is a researcher, entrepreneur, and professor of AI at Santa Clara University. She is the CEO of WaveAI, the company behind LyricStudio, a widely used AI songwriting tool. Her work has been featured in Forbes, NBC, and NPR.