Skip to main content
Story

Free online courses from UAL Creative Computing Institute launching soon on FutureLearn

CCI Breakout space
CCI Breakout space
Courtesy UAL, CCI staff and students talk in the breakout space the the UAL Creative Computing Institute.
Written by
Cat Cooper Published date
20 April 2020

Three new short online courses launch this month on the FutureLearn platform introducing skills and concepts around creative AI, accessible design and UX and inclusive design.

Developed by UAL Creative Computing Institute in conjunction with the Institute of Coding, the courses are led by the Institute's Mick Grierson and Dr Charlotte Webb. Anyone can register with FutureLearn and take the courses for free.

The courses

These are the first in a series of new online courses from Creative Computing Institute.  More in depth, 4-week follow-up courses in practical machine learning for creatives will be coming online in June.

More about the Introduction to Creative AI course

UAL Creative Computing Research Leader Mick Grierson talks about the Introduction to Creative AI course, who it's for and why now is a great time to learn about the opportunities that AI brings to the creative sector.

Who is the course for?

The course is aimed at anyone interested in having an introduction to the current state of the art in creative AI, including those without any experience at all.It is particularly aimed at early-career creative technologists, established technologists looking to extend their skills, and professionals from wider fields looking to understand more about the importance and opportunities that creative technologies present.

Why is it important to show the potential of AI within the creative sector?

AI is a massive part of how the creative sector will evolve in the next 5 years. It is bringing new creative workflows, including software and hardware that will transform how the creative industries will operate in the future. Understanding what these new tools are and how they work is essential.

Why should creatives care about AI and how it is being adopted within the creative industries?

Increasingly, artists and creatives are using AI and Machine Learning to create new sounds, images and video for communications, broadcast, advertising and fine art. These new approaches require new skills and new knowledge.

What kinds of career development are we seeing from those already combining their creative practise and AI?

There is a massive demand in the creative industries for artists and creatives who have new technology skills. This is because people with traditional computing backgrounds aren't always the best people to deliver professional creative outcomes - what is important to a creative project - such as the qualitative details of series of images or sound collage, might not seem so crucial to a computer scientist.New forms of AI allow massive creative control in image and sound making - but trained creatives are needed to fill these roles.

What can I do after?

If you find you like what you see, there's a follow-up 4-week course which you will be able to take for free in June, and this can lead to a place on one of our Masters courses, including the MSc in Creative Computing or MSc Data Science and AI for the Creative Industries for example - or one of our upcoming CPD offerings.

I haven't taken a FutureLearn course before, what can I expect?

Read about using FutureLearn and how user accounts and courses work on the platform.