World-renowned artificial intelligence researcher and generative AI pioneer Maya Ackerman will discuss how machines are reshaping human creativity when she visits in Pasadena on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. at Vroman’s Bookstore.
Margareta “Maya” Ackerman, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of computer science and engineering at Santa Clara University and CEO and co-founder of WaveAI Inc., a generative AI startup. She has published more than 50 peer-reviewed research papers, with nearly 2,000 citations, and is also an opera singer, pianist, songwriter and music producer.
Ackerman will discuss and sign her new book, “Creative Machines: AI, Art & Us,” published in 2025 by John Wiley & Sons. The 224-page hardcover traces creative AI from early pioneers to today’s tools shaping music and visual art, arguing that generative AI can amplify rather than replace human creativity while revealing both the “brilliance and blind spots” of human society.
Much of the technology discussed in the book emerges from WaveAI’s LyricStudio, an AI-powered lyric generator used by over 1 million songwriters, musicians and producers globally to create more than 1 million songs. The platform operates on a 100 percent royalty-free model, allowing users to retain all rights to their work.
Ackerman has spoken at prestigious venues including the United Nations, Google, Stanford University and Oxford University, and her work has been featured in NBC News, NPR, Forbes and Fortune.
Dr. Maya Ackerman discusses & signs Creative Machines: AI, Art & Us will run on Wednesday, January 21 at 7 p.m. Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 449-5320 or visit https://vromansbookstore.com/event/2026-01-21/dr-maya-ackerman. Admission is free; book purchase is $35.
