Dr. Maya Ackerman is a world renowned researcher in generative AI and CEO/co-founder of WaveAI, makers of LyricStudio and MelodyStudio. A pioneer in the space, Ackerman has been researching generative AI models for text, music and art since 2014. Maya was an early advocate for human-centered generative AI, bringing awareness to the power of AI to profoundly elevate human creativity. Dr. Ackerman has over 50 peer reviewed research publications and her research has been cited in over 1200 publications. Under Ackerman’s leadership, WaveAI is transforming how music is created in the age of AI. Their AI-powered lyrics assistant, LyricStudio, supported over a millions artists and creators, and was used to compose #1 chart-topping hits.

Named “Woman of Influence” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, interviews with Dr. Ackerman appear on NBC News, Forbes, Music Business Worldwide, New Scientist, NPR, Grammy.com, SiriusXM and international television stations across the globe. Dr. Ackerman is a member of the Steering Committee of the Association on Computational Creativity and has been on the program and reviewing committees of twenty different AI journals and conferences. A sought-after speaker, she appeared on many top stages, including the United Nations, IBM Research, Microsoft and Stanford University. Dr. Ackerman is the recipient of awards from the Association of Computational Creativity, Office of Naval Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and more. She earned her PhD from the University of Waterloo, held postdoctoral fellowships at Caltech and UC San Diego and is on the faculty of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at Santa Clara University.