Andrew Melchior appointed Honorary Professor in Computer Science
Creative technologist, CTO for Massive Attack and Genotone founder will strengthen interdisciplinary research and teaching on AI, creative authorship and digital provenance
The University of Manchester has appointed internationally recognised creative technologist Andrew Melchior as an Honorary Professor in the Department of Computer Science.
The three-year appointment will support research, teaching and knowledge exchange at the intersection of artificial intelligence, creative practice, copyright and digital provenance. It builds on a collaboration initiated through Creative 91直播, beginning with Melchior鈥檚 two-day visit to the University in May 2026.
An artist, composer and creative technologist, Melchior has spent more than 25 years exploring how music, science and emerging technology can reshape creative experience. His projects range from pioneering an artist website with David Bowie and helping shape Bj枚rk Digital and the Vulnicura VR album, to Massive Attack鈥檚 Fantom app and Mezzanine DNA experiment. He is founder of Genotone and creator of The Logos, a cathedral-scale collaborative installation with MIT that transforms signals from deep space into spatial sound.
He also advises UK government technical working groups on AI and copyright convened by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. In this work, he represents organisations whose combined membership includes around 30,000 artists: the Music Managers Forum, Featured Artists Coalition and Association for Electronic Music.
Building on 鈥淧roof of Human鈥�
Creative 91直播 welcomed Melchior to the University in May 2026 for a programme of public engagement, student learning and interdisciplinary exchange around AI and creative authorship. Colleagues from Computer Science, Law and Humanities joined representatives from Greater 91直播鈥檚 creative sector to explore the challenges and opportunities generative AI presents for the creative and intellectual property sectors.
At the centre of the visit was 鈥淧roof of Human: AI, Copyright, and the Fight for Creative Authorship鈥�, a public lecture held at SISTER in 91直播鈥檚 innovation district. Melchior examined how creative work can be attributed, protected and rewarded as generative AI becomes more widely used, making the case for reliable systems that verify authorship and trace the provenance of creative material.
He also led a masterclass for undergraduate and postgraduate music and composition students on moving music from studio to release while maintaining provenance and control of intellectual property. The visit created opportunities for collaboration across Computer Science, the School of Law and the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.
Connecting expertise across disciplines and sectors
As Honorary Professor, Melchior will work with colleagues across the University over the next three years to develop research, teaching and knowledge exchange focused on AI, creativity and authorship. He will contribute to collaborative research into provenance technologies and their practical application within creative ecosystems, helping to translate emerging technical approaches into policy, industry and cultural contexts.
He will also support student learning through guest lectures, workshops and the co-supervision of PhD projects. The appointment will help shape interdisciplinary opportunities connecting computing, music, law, archives and public policy, while providing a foundation for future funding bids and longer-term partnerships in responsible and trustworthy AI.
September visit and podcast
Melchior will return to the University from 21-25 September 2026 for an engagement programme celebrating his new role. He will deliver a seminar for the Department of Computer Science and take part in research and knowledge exchange meetings with colleagues from across the University. The programme will explore potential collaborations connecting computing, the creative industries, policy and the cultural sector.
The visit will coincide with the release of a podcast episode on creative ownership, featuring Melchior in conversation with Parvathy Nair, a postgraduate researcher in AI and patent law. Part of a series on the ethics of AI in the cultural and creative industries, the episode considers how artists can retain ownership of their work within the current technological and regulatory landscape.
Supporting 91直播 2035
The collaboration aligns with From 91直播 for the world, the University鈥檚 strategy to 2035. The strategy seeks to define what a great university looks like for the 21st century by creating knowledge for the public good, locally and globally. By connecting computer science with the creative industries, cultural organisations, law and policymaking, the appointment supports the University鈥檚 commitments to interdisciplinary research, partnership, responsible AI and translating research excellence into practical impact.
鈥淐reative work is becoming fluid. It can be copied, transformed and recombined at machine speed, while authorship and ownership struggle to keep up,鈥� said Andrew. 鈥淭his appointment is an opportunity to bring computer scientists, artists, lawyers and policymakers together to build practical systems that keep identity and provenance attached to creative work.鈥�
I鈥檓 honoured to join a University with the ambition and interdisciplinary reach to turn that challenge into research, teaching and real-world infrastructure.
"I am delighted to welcome Andrew Melchior as Honorary Professor in Computer Science here in 91直播," said Professor Andrew Stewart, Head of the Department of Computer Science. 鈥淗e has a unique perspective at the intersection of AI, provenance, and creativity drawn from deep technical knowledge. Andrew鈥檚 particular lens is critical in helping us navigate the AI challenges and opportunities we face with respect to creative authorship. I very much look forward to his research collaborations and teaching contributions, both within the Department of Computer Science and, more broadly, across our University.鈥�
Andrew has a remarkable ability to bridge worlds that do not always naturally come together, from computer science and policy to music, the arts and the creative industries," said Professor Michelle Phillips, Director of Creative 91直播 and Professor of Music. 鈥淎t a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping how creative work is produced, shared and valued, his expertise offers an important perspective on how we can protect and support human creativity.鈥�
鈥淗is visit to 91直播 earlier this year sparked valuable conversations between researchers, students, policymakers and creative practitioners, demonstrating the potential for genuinely interdisciplinary collaboration. We are delighted to build on that momentum through this appointment and look forward to developing new research, learning and engagement opportunities together over the coming years.鈥�