Guiding Principles for AI/Machine Learning at Berklee

Berklee announces core principles that will guide our work and partnerships in the areas of machine learning (generative AI). 

January 30, 2025

We’ve all worked at the intersection of new technologies in creativity, whether through new instruments, means of recording, how performances are disseminated, or how audiences interact with art. Many of you have been actively working around the impact of machine learning and artificial intelligence on how we teach, how our students learn, and how we all create. As part of that work, Berklee has developed a set of guiding principles for AI/machine learning, detailed below. These principles are designed to root this work in our values—in who we are as an institution of musicians, artists, artist advocates, innovators, and educators.

The generative capabilities of new forms of machine learning (referred to as generative AI or gen AI) offer exciting opportunities for innovation and new imaginative horizons in the arts. At the same time, we recognize that gen AI poses threats to how human creativity is recognized, developed, and supported. As a singular arts institution, we have the opportunity and obligation to ensure the Berklee community has a deep and nuanced understanding of both the creative potential of gen AI and the potential impacts that these technologies may have upon the agency, sustainability, and economic incentives of artists. As a global leader in music and the performing arts, Berklee will continue our tradition of empowering musicians and artists not only to navigate these new trends, but to shape them.

We have appointed an institutional working group, chaired by Debbie Cavalier, senior vice president of pre-college, online, and professional programs and CEO of Berklee Online, and Sindhumathi Revuluri, associate vice president for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies, with representation from across the different programs and functions at Berklee. The working group is charged with developing forward-looking institutional policies, new initiatives, and professional development resources focused on new AI technologies and how they will impact the fields and artistic practices we teach.

The working group will also serve as a central resource for best practices in teaching and learning, administration, and creative endeavors. Faculty, staff, and students may submit questions and comments about AI/machine learning at Berklee through this form to be connected with a member of the group.

As we move through the rest of the academic year and beyond, we’re committed to ensuring Berklee remains a creative hub for innovation at the intersection of technology and artistry. We will be creating additional guidance and resources that will help inform our practical use of these technologies. We’d like to thank the members of the group, listed below, for their participation and collaboration in this important work. More to come.

Thanks,

Jim Lucchese
President

David Bogen
Executive Vice President and Provost

Guiding Principles for AI/Machine Learning

As artists, we center the human and human experience in all of our work. We will continue our tradition of early adoption of technology that empowers and amplifies human creativity, always through an artist-first lens.

As artist advocates, we champion the role of human creators in shaping the future of music and the arts. This includes ensuring that the rights, recognition, and consent of artists are at the center of ethical development of new creative technologies. 

As arts educators, we will maintain our long commitment to ensuring Berklee students have a practical, real-world understanding of the latest technology trends, are adaptable, and feel empowered. We will always focus on the best practices in supporting our students and our faculty.

AI/Machine Learning Working Group Members

  • Jim Lucchese, President
  • Debbie Cavalier, Senior Vice President, Pre-College, Online, and Professional Programs and CEO, Berklee Online (chair)
  • Sindhumathi Revuluri, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies (chair)
  • Eileen Alviti, Senior Vice President, Human Resources
  • Laurie Bishop, General Counsel
  • David Bogen, Executive Vice President and Provost
  • Stefanie Henning, Associate Vice President, Career Strategy and Services
  • Phil Knutel, Vice President and Chief Information Officer
  • Danielle Parillo, Senior Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations
  • Chris Wares, Interim Chair, Music Business/Management