CREA
	A cross-disciplinary research network

Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov imagined a science of prediction called "psychohistory" which enabled the future to be induced via statistical inference from big data. But is prediction and anticipation only about data? How should anticipation and anticipatory systems be conceived in order for human decisions to be respectful of pluralism in ecosystems and noosystems? Is there a common anticipatory feature in biological structures, cultural structures, and technological ones? How does anticipation influence movements, choices, emotions and representations? Is there a difference between prediction and anticipation in the context of technosocial systems?

Anticipation is a rich notion that includes cognitive, existential and cultural aspects, and is active across a wide range of contexts: it concerns both human expectations and artificial predictive systems. We see anticipation as a promising paradigm in order to foster cross-disciplinarity and a cross-fertilization of ideas among researchers. Anticipation Studies is a growing field of research still in need of unification; it could shed a new light in current debates about the ethics and sustainability of Intelligent Systems.

At Örebro University, Luis de Miranda, philosopher and historian of ideas, together with Alessandro Saffiotti, head of the AASS Cognitive Robotic Systems Laboratory, have initiated the CREA research network: Cross-disciplinary Research on Effectual Anticipation. CREA is an umbrella and a catalyzer of a growing number of organized and spontanous activities, some of which are listed below.

Activities

• The CREA Seminar Series [Includes videos]
  A series of open seminars, featuring an exciting program with world-leading specialists of anticipation, and with a broad scope ranging from robotics to sociology and to biology. At Örebro University, Sweden, from March to December 2019.
• The CREA International Symposium [Includes videos and abstracts]
  The first international CREA symposium "Anticipation and Anticipatory Systems: Humans Meet Artificial Intelligence", in partnership with the Unesco Chair in Anticipatory Systems and its educational Futures Literacy program. At Örebro University, Sweden, June 10-13, 2019.
• A public evening on AI [Open to all, free entrance]
  Featuring a Human-AI jazz concert; a talk by Riel Miller, head of Futures Literacy, Unesco; and a public debate "Can Artificial Intelligence Help us Anticipate the Future?". At Örebro University, School of Music, June 12, 2019, at 18:00.
• Human meets AI in music [Includes videos]
  This CREA project explores Human-AI harmonious collaboration in a concrete case study: a hybrid duo of a human pianist and an AI drummer perform jazz music live.
• CREA on Facebook

Contacts

• Luis de Miranda
  School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, University of Örebro, Sweden
• Alessandro Saffiotti
  School of Science and Technology, University of Örebro, Sweden

Sponsorship

The CREA Seminar Series is supported by a grant from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. The CREA International Workshop is supported by a grant from Vetenskapsrådet. Additional logistic and financial support is provided by Örebro University through its Internationalization program as well as its 20-year jubileum program. CREA is part of Örebro University's larger effort to promote multidisciplinary research in AI.

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Last updated on December 13, 2019 by A. Saffiotti