The Synthetic Media Research Network is a community of researchers, businesses and stakeholders committed to ethical innovation in synthetic media – all media created by or manipulated by AI systems. We tackle the social, legal and political challenges of Generative AI while seeking imaginative applications of the new technology. Our members prototype AI-generated photo-realistic synthetic media across film and screen, healthcare, and education.
We are a centre of thought leadership, providing an independent, supportive forum for the circulation of ideas. Our discussions foreground key ethical, business, regulatory and legal issues surrounding Generative AI. At the SMRN, we are committed to developing a common set of values to secure public trust in one of the most exciting technological developments of our age.
Key Staff
- Dr Dominic Lees – Steering Committee Member
- Dr Alan Guedes – Researcher
The network is made up of a variety of industry professional and academic researchers.
Events with the Synthetic Media Research Network
Synthetic Media includes:
- Computer vision
- Machine learning
- Voice cloning
- Deep fakes
Digital Humanities
Dr Dominic Lees joined the IDRC DH as a co-director in 2025 and brings with him a wealth of expertise in synthetic media. His network brings to the IDRC a group of research and industry professionals who work at the cutting edge of creative media. Along with the ImmerseLab, the SMRN now provides a wider pool of researchers the change to engage with research with real-world impact.
Interested collaborators can visit the SMRN website or contact Dominic directly.