NATIONALITY
Norwegian
INSTAGRAM
@birgitteaga
Birgitte Aga is an activist, creative technologist, and researcher with a Ph.D. in the artistic and ethical application of conversational AI. As part of her research, Birgitte creates AI-driven artworks and fosters communities that harness new technologies for cultural, artistic, and social impact. Her recent project, 'Women Reclaiming AI,' is a feminist AI voice assistant developed in collaboration with Coral Manton, involving workshops with a growing community of women. Birgitte is currently the Head of Innovation and Research at MUNCH in Oslo.
BIRGITTE AGA
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST AND RESEARCHER
HEAD OF INNOVATION AND RESEARCH, MUNCH MUSEUM
A greater focus on AI Ethics and Responsible AI
Who or what motivates you?
Young people and the future.
Who or what do you value as a great inspiration?
Timnit Gebru (AI expert, activist and computer scientist),
Lynn Hersman Leeson (artist), Es Devlin (artist and designer), James Bridle (artist and writer), Ian Cheng (artist), Agnieszka Kurant (artist), United Visual Artist (art collective),Takashi Murakami (artist), Mimi Onuoha (artist), +++
What do you aspire to?
To do good with research and technology.
Can you elaborate on a moment in your life where you experienced a change which altered your way of thinking?
Exploring the initial iteration of ChatGPT, which established a publicly accessible language interface between humans and machines, capable of understanding and generating text, transformed my outlook on the future. It came sooner than I thought, and alongside other generative image applications, illuminated the swift advancements we are currently witnessing, leading me to contemplate both the possibilities and ethical challenges that lie ahead.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I believe that my career and life journey have been defined by a a multitude of contributions from people, places, technologies, and experiences, so I don’t consider own achievements, but collective achievements.
What do you think will be the next biggest technological advance in your field in the coming years?
I hope for a greater focus on AI Ethics and Responsible AI, leaps in Natural Language Understanding and innovation in artforms and AI-driven cultural experiences.
What’s the best reality you wish for and how does it compare to your present?
I hope for a future where technology, especially AI, is ethical, fair, transparent, and inclusive. This means AI is developed with ethics in mind, accessible to all, transparent in its operations, designed with users in focus, and created with input from diverse voices. A reality where technology development is responsible and equitable.
Any young talents in the field of Art/Tech/Fashion you are impressed with?
Sofia Crespo, OseanWorld / Sean-Tyler Thomas Walto and Gabriel Massan.
What harsh truths do you prefer to ignore?
Time as a finite and limited resource.Can you elaborate on a moment in your life where you experienced a change which altered your way of thinking?
WRAI GAN, WRAI community, Aga & Manton (2020)
COLLECTIVE OSLO met Birgitte linked to our interest in new technologies and machine learning. She gave a great presentation as part of our ART-IFICAL Talks at Snøhetta.