Sensing the Machine: Generative AI and the Transformation of Musical Ensemble Practice (CreativeAI Studentship)

This PhD project, titled 'Sensing the Machine: Generative AI and the Transformation of Musical Ensemble Practice (CreativeAI Studentship)', offers a unique opportunity to investigate how generative AI is reshaping creativity, collaboration, and trust within musical performance, production, and composition. As AI systems become increasingly integrated into creative workflows—from real-time improvisation tools to AI-assisted compositional platforms—musicians are beginning to treat algorithms not only as instruments, but as co-performers, collaborators, and unpredictable creative agents. Situated at the intersection of Anthropology and Music, the project will involve ethnographic and practice-based research with musicians, ensembles, and composers who incorporate AI into their creative processes. The researcher will use observations, interviews, and participatory musical experimentation to examine how trust, responsiveness, and attunement are built or strained when creative partners include intelligent systems. Key questions include: What happens to tacit knowledge, timing, 'feel', and embodied synchrony when one member of the ensemble is a machine? How do musicians recalibrate concepts of authorship, risk, improvisation, and virtuosity when collaborating with an AI that cannot sense, breathe, or listen in human ways? Anthropologically, the project investigates how embodied expertise and sensory knowledge are reconfigured as musicians learn to interpret, anticipate, and sometimes challenge algorithmic behaviour. Musically, it asks how AI systems alter the aesthetics, ethics, and phenomenology of creative practice. Philosophically, it raises questions about agency, intentionality, and the limits of shared creativity. The researcher will analyse how trust is cultivated, where it breaks down, and what new forms of relationality emerge when artists and algorithms co-produce sonic worlds. This PhD is ideal for students interested in digital anthropology, ethnomusicology, creativity studies, and the cultural implications of AI in the arts. It offers a chance to trace how musical knowledge and collaborative practice are being transformed in real time. The project is based at The University of Manchester, within the Faculty of Humanities Doctoral Academy, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. The CreativeAI studentship covers tuition fees, research support, and a stipend (£20,780 for 2025/2026), commencing in September 2026. Applicants must hold a Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above and a Master's degree in a relevant subject with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in the dissertation, and no mark below 55%. Desirable criteria include a strong academic record in Anthropology or a related subject, relevant academic skills in social theory, and expertise in music performance, composition, or production. English language proficiency is required (IELTS 7.0 overall and 7.0 in writing, TOEFL 100 overall and 25 in all sections, or Pearson Test of English 76 overall and 76 in writing). Applicants may also demonstrate proficiency by having completed a degree in a majority English-speaking nation within the last 5 years. Applications must be submitted online for the PhD in Anthropology, Media and Performance at The University of Manchester. In Section 6, select 'Yes' for applying to an advertised project and insert the project title as stated. Enter the supervisor's name manually. Indicate your intention to apply for the CreativeAI Studentship in Section 9. Ensure all required supporting documents are included, as incomplete applications may not be considered. Required documents include academic transcripts and certificates for Bachelor's and Master's degrees, an academic CV, a supporting statement (max 700 words), a 1,500-word PhD research proposal, and two academic referees (including one from your most recent institution). Interviews are expected to take place in the week commencing 11th May 2026. For questions about the project, contact the primary supervisor, Dr Jennifer Cearns ([email protected]). For general questions about eligibility or application processes, contact [email protected]. The University of Manchester is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and actively encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds.