CV
Ben Swift#
Position: Senior Lecturer & Cybernetic Studio Lead, ANU School of
Cybernetics
Email: [email protected]
Website: benswift.me
Research interests#
- AI education and demystification—making the mechanics of language models legible through hands-on, unplugged pedagogy
- agentic AI workflows and their implications for software development practice
- human-AI creative systems, from livecoded music to adversarial art
- critical perspectives on machine learning—explainability, governance, and the politics of automation
- livecoding and computational art
Selected projects#
These are active research-through-practice projects from the Cybernetic Studio at the ANU School of Cybernetics.
- LLMs Unplugged — hands-on teaching resources where learners build language models with pen, paper, and dice. Delivered to 400+ participants across secondary, tertiary, and executive education contexts. Published at ACE 2026.
- VLM Perception Experiments — controlled experiments testing whether vision language models can determine occlusion order in visual scenes, with statistical analysis across multiple frontier models.
- APS AI Tracker — automated monitoring of AI Transparency Statements published by Australian Government departments, tracking how AI governance policies evolve over time.
- LLM Brainscan — visualises transformer weight changes during training on an 8K display, one pixel per parameter.
- Perceptron Apparatus — a 1.2-metre diameter physical device that performs artificial neural network calculations by hand. Launched at SXSW Sydney 2025.
- COMP4020: Agentic Coding Studio — new ANU course (S2 2026) on LLM-agent-driven software development workflows, moving beyond naive vibecoding to a studio-based iterate-and-test approach.
Education#
- 2012 PhD in Computer Science, Australian National University. Thesis: “The Design of a Smartphone-Based Digital Musical Instrument for Jamming”
- 2007 Bachelor of Science (Honours 1st class, mathematics & physics major), Australian National University
- 2005 Certificate IV in Music Performance, Canberra Institute of Technology
Employment history#
- 2018– Senior Lecturer (Level C), ANU School of Cybernetics. Leads the Cybernetic Studio—a research-through-practice initiative building things to think with at the intersection of AI, creativity, and public understanding.
- 2017–2018 Lecturer (Level B), ANU Research School of Computer Science
- 2013–2016 Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Level B), ANU Research School of Computer Science
- 2012 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, QUT Institute for Future Environments
Grants#
- 2026 Anthropic Claude API credits for COMP4020 Agentic Coding Studio, with Alex Potanin (~$500k in-kind)
- 2026 Stateful AI Agents and Creative Collaboration, with Jess Herrington ($35k)
- 2020–2022 CECS Reimagine Fellowship (inaugural; 0.4 FTE buyout)—produced the c/c/c studio curriculum and EXTN1019
- 2019 ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences Teaching and Learning Fellowship ($10k)
- 2018 RSHA Interdisciplinary/Cross-College Collaborative Research Scheme ($15k)
- 2018 The ANU School of Music Sound Recording App ($17k)
- 2017 ANU Vice Chancellor’s College Visiting Artist Fellowship ($5k)
- 2016 Google Summer of Code ($7k)
- 2016 ANU Vice Chancellor’s College Visiting Artist Fellowship ($5k)
- 2015 New Colombo Plan: “Internet of Things” Program at Beijing Institute of Technology ($132k)
Prizes and awards#
- 2026 ANU College of Systems and Society Education Award (Transdisciplinary Teaching) — Cybernetics KNoTs team, McCusker Institute
- 2026 ANU College of Systems and Society Education Award — School of Cybernetics Learning Experiences (LX) team
- 2018 Vice Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
- 2017 CECS Dean’s Award for Excellence in Education
- 2012 CECS Dean’s Award for Outreach
Professional service#
- 2027 Co-General Chair, Australasian Computer Science Week (ACSW), hosted at ANU
- 2020 General Chair, Australasian Computer Music Conference (ACMC)
- 2019–2021 Vice-President, Australasian Computer Music Association (ACMA)
- 2010–2012 Treasurer, Australasian Computer Music Association (ACMA)
Peer-reviewed publications#
2026
Hidden in Plain Sight: Occlusion Edge Blur as a Perceptual Blind Spot in Multimodal LLMs
Proceedings of the 5th ACM International Workshop on Multimedia AI against Disinformation
LLMs Unplugged: Teaching Resources for a ChatGPT World
Proceedings of the 28th Australasian Computing Education Conference
2025
Emerging Paradigms in Human–AI Creativity: From Visualisation to Biofeedback in Adaptive Interfaces
Human-Computer Creativity: Generative AI in Education, Art, and Healthcare
Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression
Semantic Topologies in the Recursive Application of Generative AI Models
2025 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC)
2022
Having a Ball: A Linked Data Approach to Fancy Dress in Colonial Australia
DH '22: Proceedings of the International Conference of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations
Automatic Gloss Dictionary for Sign Language Learners
Proceedings of the 60th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics: System Demonstrations
2021
Spatial Anchor Based Indoor Asset Tracking
IEEE VR '21: Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR)
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
2020
Starting With SOAP: Rapid Deployment of Contract Tracing in a Pandemic
Disruption and Creativity in Live Coding
VL/HCC '20: IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing
CHI '20: Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Eating Computers Considered Harmful
Alt.CHI '20: Extended Abstracts of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Enacting Collective Ownership Economies within Amazon’s Mechanical Turk
Proceedings of "Worker-Centered Design: Expanding HCI Methods for Supporting Labor" Workshop at CHI'20
Artists and Master-Coders in the Consensual Domain
Proceedings of "Where Art Meets Technology: Integrating Tangible and Intelligent Tools in Creative Processes" Workshop at CHI'20
TSPNet: Hierarchical Feature Learning via Temporal Semantic Pyramid for Sign Language Translation
NeurIPS '20: Poster Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems
Analysis and Visualisation of Complex Familial Relationships in Greek Mythology
DH '20: Proceedings of the International Conference of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations (Peer-Reviewed Poster)
Introduction to Music-Making in Extempore (Workshop)
ICLC'20: Proceedings of the 2020 International Conference on Live Coding
2019
Reducing Latency in a Collaborative Augmented Reality Service
VRCAI '19: Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Virtual-Reality Continuum and Its Applications in Industry
Two Perspectives on Rebooting Computer Music Education: Composition and Computer Science
ACMC '19: Proceedings of the 2019 Australasian Computer Music Conference
Analysis and Visualization of Narrative in Shanhaijing Using Linked Data
DH '19: Proceedings of the International Conference of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations
2018
Critical Challenges for the Visual Representation of Deep Neural Networks
Human and Machine Learning: Visible, Explainable, Trustworthy and Transparent
The Other Side: Algorithm As Ritual in Artificial Intelligence
Alt.CHI '18: Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Thoughts on an ANU Laptop Ensemble: Where Do New Media Creators Fit in the Modern University?
Code2k18: A Media Conference of Platforms, Devices and Screens
2017
67th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association
Journal of Microscopy
2016
InfiniCloud 2.0: Distributing High Performance Computing across Continents.
Supercomputing Frontiers and Innovations
CHI '16: Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Live Programming in Scientific Simulation
Supercomputing Frontiers and Innovations
2015
Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering
Music of 18 Performances: Evaluating Apps and Agents with Free Improvisation
ACMC '15: Proceedings of the 2015 Australasian Computer Music Conference
Tracking Ensemble Performance on Touch-Screens with Gesture Classification and Transition Matrices
NIME '15: Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression
2014
Exploring Percussive Gesture on iPads with Ensemble Metatone
CHI '14: Proceedings of the 2014 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Metatravels and Metalonsdale: Ipad Apps for Percussive Improvisation
CHI '14: Extended Abstracts of the 2014 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Visualising a Live Coding Arts Process
OZCHI '14: Proceedings of the 26th Australasian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction
The Many Meanings of Live Coding
Computer Music Journal
CHI '14: Proceedings of the 2014 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Networked Livecoding at VL/HCC 2013
VL/HCC '14: IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing
2013
Chasing a Feeling: Experience in Computer Supported Jamming
Music and Human-Computer Interaction
Visual Code Annotations for Cyberphysical Programming
LIVE '13: 1st International Workshop on Live Programming at ICSE
2012
Becoming-Sound: Affect and Assemblage in Improvisational Digital Music Making
CHI '12: Proceedings of the 2012 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
The Design of a Smartphone-Based Digital Musical Instrument for Jamming
ANU Library Open Research
2011
A Chasing After the Wind: Experience in Computer-supported Group Musicmaking
Proceedings of "When Words Fail: What Can Music Interaction Tell Us about HCI?" Workshop at British HCI
Computer Music Journal
2010
Engagement Networks in Social Music-making
OZCHI '10: Proceedings of the 22nd Australasian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction
2009
Distributed Performance in Live Coding
ACMC '09: Proceedings of the 2009 Australasian Computer Music Conference
2007
Mind-Modulated Music in the Mind Attention Interface
OZCHI '07: Proceedings of the 19th Australasian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction
Teaching#
See my teaching page for current and past courses.
Curated livecoding performances#
2025
PK Big Band Room, ANU School of Music
2024
Coloring Code - Live Drawing and Coding
International Conference on Live Coding (ICLC) 2024
Shanghai Concert Hall, China
2022
OzCHI '22 Connected Creativity Algorave
Australasian Human Computer Interaction Conference (OzCHI) 2022
Ainslie Arts Centre
Australasian Computer Music Conference (ACMC) 2022
Ahumairangi, Block 1, Massey University, Wellington NZ
2021
Australasian Computer Music Conference (ACMC) 2021
Australian Institute of Music
2020
International Conference on Live Coding (ICLC) 2020
Flannery's Bar, Limerick, Ireland
PK Big Band Room, ANU School of Music
2019
Ildiko Kovacs: The DNA of Colour exhibition
Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra
ANU College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics
2018
Shirty Science Season 3 launch party
Doughnut Dept., Canberra
National Science Week '18 ACT Launch Event
Molo Bar, Australian National University
Soundscapes Concert Series #21
Smiths Alternative Bookshop, Canberra
National Invention Convention '18 Closing Ceremony
National Invention Convention 2018
Questacon, Canberra
2017
National Science Week '17 ACT Launch Event
National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra
2015
Collected Resonances: Session 2
Collected Resonances concert series
ANU School of Music, Canberra
John Curtin School of Medical Research, Canberra
2014
The AP Sessions
Australian National University
Aesthetic visuals · Didactic visuals · Study: no visuals · Study: with visuals · DOI
ACMC '14: Australasian Computer Music Conference
Australasian Computer Music Conference (ACMC) 2014
Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne
John Hosking Farewell Reception
John Hosking Farewell Reception
Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra
Kendall Lane Theatre, New Acton, Canberra
"You Are Here" Festival - in case of sound: round one
Canberra Museum and Gallery
2013
ICOMOS 2013: International Council on Monuments and Sites
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) 2013
Mt Stromlo Observatory, Canberra
Revenant Media: Theremin '75 Exhibition
Revenant Media: Theremin '75 exhibition
ANU School of Art Gallery, Canberra
Musical Metacreation (MuMe) Algorave at ISEA 2013: International Symposium on Electronic Art
International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA) 2013
107 Projects, Redfern, NSW, Australia
2009
Beginning-Middle-End Festival
ANU School of Art Gallery, Canberra
ACMC '09: Australasian Computer Music Conference
Australasian Computer Music Conference (ACMC) 2009
Queensland University of Technology
2008
Transmissions in Sound
ANU School of Music, Canberra