Designing Co-Creative AI for Virtual Environments

Abstract

Co-creative AI tools provide a method of creative collaboration between a user and machine. One form of co-creative AI called generative design requires the user to input design parameters and wait substantial periods of time while the system computes design solutions. We explore this interaction dynamic by providing an embodied experience in VR. Calliope is a virtual reality (VR) system that enables users to explore and manipulate generative design solutions in real time. Calliope accounts for the typical idle times in the generative design process by using a virtual environment to encourage parallelized and embodied data-exploration and synthesis, while maintaining a tight human-in-The-loop collaboration with the underlying algorithms. In this paper we discuss design considerations informed by formative studies with generative designers and artists and provide design guidelines to aid others in the development of co-creative AI systems in virtual environments.