Christian Guckelsberger
@creativeendvs.bsky.social
💻Computer Scientist🖼Art Historian👨🏫Prof in Creative Tech @Aalto University (Finland). Bridging AI/HCI/CogSci/Creative Practice to research creative AI.
Pinned
1/5 Now in Artificial Life: our research on the creativity of unsupervised learning! Core finding: a simple model of attractor networks with Hebbian learning is sufficient to constitute a (minimal) creative process, yielding creative products as solutions of the optimization. doi.org/10.1162/ARTL...
5/5 Collaboration between @aalto.fi and @oistedu.bsky.social, supported by Aalto Science Institute (ASci) and the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology (HIIT).
October 29, 2025 at 12:48 PM
5/5 Collaboration between @aalto.fi and @oistedu.bsky.social, supported by Aalto Science Institute (ASci) and the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology (HIIT).
4/5 This work contributes to a young research agenda seeking to understand creativity beyond the realm of humans or highly developed animals. We argue for the SO model as a fascinating candidate to study the effect of learning on creativity from the bottom up - in life as it is and as it could be.
October 29, 2025 at 12:48 PM
4/5 This work contributes to a young research agenda seeking to understand creativity beyond the realm of humans or highly developed animals. We argue for the SO model as a fascinating candidate to study the effect of learning on creativity from the bottom up - in life as it is and as it could be.
3/5 More specifically, we demonstrate that modifying the SO model learning parameters gives rise to four different regimes that can account for both creative products and inconclusive outcomes, thus providing a framework for studying and understanding the creative potential of learning systems.
October 29, 2025 at 12:48 PM
3/5 More specifically, we demonstrate that modifying the SO model learning parameters gives rise to four different regimes that can account for both creative products and inconclusive outcomes, thus providing a framework for studying and understanding the creative potential of learning systems.
2/5 Developed to model complex adaptive systems in ALife and advocated as a candidate for minimal agency, the Self-Optimization (SO) model can be considered as the 3rd operational mode of the classical Hopfield Network, leveraging the power of associative memory to enhance optimization performance.
October 29, 2025 at 12:48 PM
2/5 Developed to model complex adaptive systems in ALife and advocated as a candidate for minimal agency, the Self-Optimization (SO) model can be considered as the 3rd operational mode of the classical Hopfield Network, leveraging the power of associative memory to enhance optimization performance.
1/5 Now in Artificial Life: our research on the creativity of unsupervised learning! Core finding: a simple model of attractor networks with Hebbian learning is sufficient to constitute a (minimal) creative process, yielding creative products as solutions of the optimization. doi.org/10.1162/ARTL...
October 29, 2025 at 12:48 PM
1/5 Now in Artificial Life: our research on the creativity of unsupervised learning! Core finding: a simple model of attractor networks with Hebbian learning is sufficient to constitute a (minimal) creative process, yielding creative products as solutions of the optimization. doi.org/10.1162/ARTL...
Reposted by Christian Guckelsberger
Read the blog of the Ethics Advisory Board of Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence about the need to incorporate training and discussions in AI ethics in the AI-related doctoral student's curriculum. fcai.fi/eab-blog/eth... Written together with colleagues listed in the comments.
Ethics is not a 15-minute box-ticking exercise — FCAI
Responsible AI development requires continuous, critical ethical thinking from everyone involved in creating technology.
fcai.fi
June 17, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Read the blog of the Ethics Advisory Board of Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence about the need to incorporate training and discussions in AI ethics in the AI-related doctoral student's curriculum. fcai.fi/eab-blog/eth... Written together with colleagues listed in the comments.
4/4 Locally, we're part of a rich AI research ecosystem, including the Finnish Center of AI (FCAI), Helsinki Institute for Information Technology (HIIT) @icthiit.bsky.social and the Finnish @ellis.eu institute, a world-class research hub in AI and machine learning.
June 3, 2025 at 12:13 PM
4/4 Locally, we're part of a rich AI research ecosystem, including the Finnish Center of AI (FCAI), Helsinki Institute for Information Technology (HIIT) @icthiit.bsky.social and the Finnish @ellis.eu institute, a world-class research hub in AI and machine learning.
3/4 You can work w/travel to our fantastic collaborators Natasha Jaques @natashajaques.bsky.social (Washington U./DeepMind), Sebastian Deterding @codingconduct.cc (Imperial College), Christoph Salge @christophsalge.bsky.social & Daniel Polani (UH), & Julian Togelius @togelius.bsky.social (NYU)!
June 3, 2025 at 12:13 PM
3/4 You can work w/travel to our fantastic collaborators Natasha Jaques @natashajaques.bsky.social (Washington U./DeepMind), Sebastian Deterding @codingconduct.cc (Imperial College), Christoph Salge @christophsalge.bsky.social & Daniel Polani (UH), & Julian Togelius @togelius.bsky.social (NYU)!
2/4 The AIR group (www.autotelic.science) embraces diversity in research, thought and identity and has a track record of research on (computational) intrinsic motivation, bridging between AI, Psychology and Cognitive Science. Aalto University is 15 min away from Helsinki and surrounded by nature.
Autotelic Interaction Research | Aalto University
Supporting self-directed behaviour in AI, people, and in their interaction.
www.autotelic.science
June 3, 2025 at 12:13 PM
2/4 The AIR group (www.autotelic.science) embraces diversity in research, thought and identity and has a track record of research on (computational) intrinsic motivation, bridging between AI, Psychology and Cognitive Science. Aalto University is 15 min away from Helsinki and surrounded by nature.
1/4 Join us and the Autotelic Interaction Research (AIR) group @aalto.fi / Finland to work on Computational Social Intrinsic Motivation (SIM) as PhD (4y) or postdoc (2y). Job ad w project description and application instructions: bit.ly/4jyNLGv. We're looking forward to learning about you!
Doctoral Researcher and Postdoc positions to work on Computational Social Intrinsic Motivation (SIM) | Aalto University
The Autotelic Interaction Research (AIR) group at the Dept. of Computer Science, Aalto University, Finland is looking for 1 Doctoral Researcher (2+2 years) and 1 Postdoc (2 years) to work on Computational Social Intrinsic Motivation (SIM)
bit.ly
June 3, 2025 at 12:13 PM
1/4 Join us and the Autotelic Interaction Research (AIR) group @aalto.fi / Finland to work on Computational Social Intrinsic Motivation (SIM) as PhD (4y) or postdoc (2y). Job ad w project description and application instructions: bit.ly/4jyNLGv. We're looking forward to learning about you!
5/5 🤝 A collaboration between Aalto University @aalto.fi and Imperial College @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social, generously supported by the Research Council of Finland and Helsinki Institute for Information Technology @icthiit.bsky.social
May 27, 2025 at 1:19 PM
5/5 🤝 A collaboration between Aalto University @aalto.fi and Imperial College @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social, generously supported by the Research Council of Finland and Helsinki Institute for Information Technology @icthiit.bsky.social
4/5 📆 Catch us in person: We will be presenting this work first at RLDM @rldmdublin2025.bsky.social in June (in person) and then at CogSci @cogscisociety.bsky.social in July (likely remote). Please join us for exciting discussions of this research and the directions in which we take it next!
May 27, 2025 at 1:19 PM
4/5 📆 Catch us in person: We will be presenting this work first at RLDM @rldmdublin2025.bsky.social in June (in person) and then at CogSci @cogscisociety.bsky.social in July (likely remote). Please join us for exciting discussions of this research and the directions in which we take it next!
3/5 🤔 Why it matters: By matching psychological theories with AI models, we foster transparency and testability in motivation research. More generally, our work can support a cycle of theory development by inspiring new AI models and experimental designs, which can then be used to refine the theory.
May 27, 2025 at 1:19 PM
3/5 🤔 Why it matters: By matching psychological theories with AI models, we foster transparency and testability in motivation research. More generally, our work can support a cycle of theory development by inspiring new AI models and experimental designs, which can then be used to refine the theory.
2/5 🔎 Overview: We match models of intrinsic motivation from RL with 4 facets of competence identified in previous work: effectance, skill use, task performance & capacity growth. This uncovers previously hidden preconditions in SDT and supports refining our understanding of intrinsic motivation.
May 27, 2025 at 1:19 PM
2/5 🔎 Overview: We match models of intrinsic motivation from RL with 4 facets of competence identified in previous work: effectance, skill use, task performance & capacity growth. This uncovers previously hidden preconditions in SDT and supports refining our understanding of intrinsic motivation.
1/5 🌟 Our latest peer-reviewed research bridges psychology and AI/reinforcement learning (RL)! We explore how AI models of intrinsic motivation can formalise the "need for competence" in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), a very popular theory of human motivation. Preprint: arxiv.org/abs/2502.07423.
May 27, 2025 at 1:19 PM
1/5 🌟 Our latest peer-reviewed research bridges psychology and AI/reinforcement learning (RL)! We explore how AI models of intrinsic motivation can formalise the "need for competence" in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), a very popular theory of human motivation. Preprint: arxiv.org/abs/2502.07423.
Reposted by Christian Guckelsberger
New preprint! arxiv.org/abs/2505.15849 : Reed Bender (www.linkedin.com/in/reed-bend...), Karina Kofman (www.linkedin.com/in/karina-ko...), @blaiseaguera.bsky.social
"What Lives? A meta-analysis of diverse opinions on the definition of life"
"What Lives? A meta-analysis of diverse opinions on the definition of life"
What Lives? A meta-analysis of diverse opinions on the definition of life
The question of "what is life?" has challenged scientists and philosophers for centuries, producing an array of definitions that reflect both the mystery of its emergence and the diversity of discipli...
arxiv.org
May 23, 2025 at 4:52 AM
New preprint! arxiv.org/abs/2505.15849 : Reed Bender (www.linkedin.com/in/reed-bend...), Karina Kofman (www.linkedin.com/in/karina-ko...), @blaiseaguera.bsky.social
"What Lives? A meta-analysis of diverse opinions on the definition of life"
"What Lives? A meta-analysis of diverse opinions on the definition of life"
Interested in working on (computational) intrinsic motivation x design x architecture? A really cool PhD project coming up - UK residents only and supervised by @christophsalge.bsky.social! Ah, and I'll be co-supervising :) All info below - many opportunities to fit in your profile and ideas.
Do you want to do a Phd at @herts.ac.uk with me in the topic of: Changing the Environment with Intrinsically Motivated Computational Creativity?
Then apply for a fully funded Phd position with our Centre for Future Societies, reference ADS4.
Deadline: 26. May, 2025
Details below. Please share.
Then apply for a fully funded Phd position with our Centre for Future Societies, reference ADS4.
Deadline: 26. May, 2025
Details below. Please share.
April 28, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Interested in working on (computational) intrinsic motivation x design x architecture? A really cool PhD project coming up - UK residents only and supervised by @christophsalge.bsky.social! Ah, and I'll be co-supervising :) All info below - many opportunities to fit in your profile and ideas.
Reposted by Christian Guckelsberger
Why Self-Determination Theory Needs Computational Modelling: The Case of Competence and Optimal Challenge
by @codingconduct.cc E. Lintunen N. Aly @creativeendvs.bsky.social
osf.io/n6x8s/downlo...
by @codingconduct.cc E. Lintunen N. Aly @creativeendvs.bsky.social
osf.io/n6x8s/downlo...
April 10, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Why Self-Determination Theory Needs Computational Modelling: The Case of Competence and Optimal Challenge
by @codingconduct.cc E. Lintunen N. Aly @creativeendvs.bsky.social
osf.io/n6x8s/downlo...
by @codingconduct.cc E. Lintunen N. Aly @creativeendvs.bsky.social
osf.io/n6x8s/downlo...
3/3 Why it matters: Understanding how we judge machine-made art can guide HCI design, support fair system evaluations, and inspire co-creativity applications. More exploratory results in paper! Collaboration between @aalto.fi and @helsinki.fi, supported by HIIT and the Research Council of Finland.
April 8, 2025 at 1:27 PM
3/3 Why it matters: Understanding how we judge machine-made art can guide HCI design, support fair system evaluations, and inspire co-creativity applications. More exploratory results in paper! Collaboration between @aalto.fi and @helsinki.fi, supported by HIIT and the Research Council of Finland.
2/3 We compared two drawing robots, a mechanical plotter and an anthropomorphized arm, creating the same still-life drawings. Surprisingly, differences in robot embodiment did not affect creativity ratings. But seeing the art being made, and what makes it, boosted how creative people perceived them.
April 8, 2025 at 1:27 PM
2/3 We compared two drawing robots, a mechanical plotter and an anthropomorphized arm, creating the same still-life drawings. Surprisingly, differences in robot embodiment did not affect creativity ratings. But seeing the art being made, and what makes it, boosted how creative people perceived them.
1/3 Out now: new paper on people's perception of AI (robot) creativity! Core finding: we attribute more creativity to a creative act if people not only see the final artwork, but also its creation process & the robot making it. Video: vimeo.com/1073134853 Open-access paper: doi.org/10.1145/3711...
April 8, 2025 at 1:27 PM
1/3 Out now: new paper on people's perception of AI (robot) creativity! Core finding: we attribute more creativity to a creative act if people not only see the final artwork, but also its creation process & the robot making it. Video: vimeo.com/1073134853 Open-access paper: doi.org/10.1145/3711...
Fancy working with me and the Autotelic Interaction Research (AIR) group at Aalto University @aaltouniversity.bsky.social? Call for phd/postdoc/research fellow positions with the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence now open! Check autotelic.science for topic fit. fcai.fi/winter-2025-...
Winter 2025 - Researcher positions in AI and machine learning — FCAI
fcai.fi
December 19, 2024 at 1:17 PM
Fancy working with me and the Autotelic Interaction Research (AIR) group at Aalto University @aaltouniversity.bsky.social? Call for phd/postdoc/research fellow positions with the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence now open! Check autotelic.science for topic fit. fcai.fi/winter-2025-...
(3/3) We are now extending our proof-of-concept with more experiments, e.g. on transfer learning. A key challenge is quantifying the diversity of learned skills, and we look forward to distilling relevant insights for tackling this from interacting with the wider community!
December 11, 2024 at 9:34 PM
(3/3) We are now extending our proof-of-concept with more experiments, e.g. on transfer learning. A key challenge is quantifying the diversity of learned skills, and we look forward to distilling relevant insights for tackling this from interacting with the wider community!
(2/3) DP is a method for shaping goal selection in reinforcement learning based on an agent’s beliefs about how much pursuing the goals will diversify its skills. DP is applicable to a particular class of intrinsic rewards used to learn a repertoire of diverse skills without task-specific rewards.
December 11, 2024 at 9:34 PM
(2/3) DP is a method for shaping goal selection in reinforcement learning based on an agent’s beliefs about how much pursuing the goals will diversify its skills. DP is applicable to a particular class of intrinsic rewards used to learn a repertoire of diverse skills without task-specific rewards.
(1/3) This week at #neurips2024: our work on "Diversity Progress” (DP) to improve unsupervised skill learning. Meet authors Erik Lintunen & Nadia Ady at the Intrinsically Motivated Open-ended Learning (IMOL) workshop: Sun 15th, 8:15+, West Meeting Room 217–219. Paper: openreview.net/forum?id=nz9...
December 11, 2024 at 9:34 PM
(1/3) This week at #neurips2024: our work on "Diversity Progress” (DP) to improve unsupervised skill learning. Meet authors Erik Lintunen & Nadia Ady at the Intrinsically Motivated Open-ended Learning (IMOL) workshop: Sun 15th, 8:15+, West Meeting Room 217–219. Paper: openreview.net/forum?id=nz9...