TMCnet News
Canada's top international AI talent grows to 80Under the CIFAR Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, a total of $86.5M has been allocated to recruit and retain world-leading experts in AI. VANCOUVER, Dec. 9, 2019 /CNW/ - The Canada CIFAR AI Chairs program, a cornerstone of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, provides outstanding researchers with long-term, dedicated funding to support their research programs and to train the next generation of AI leaders. Each of the chairs will receive five years of dedicated funding to support research excellence in machine learning. The program is one of the goals of the CIFAR Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, a $125-million investment by the Government of Canada. The 34 newly-named chairs are pioneering research in areas that will have a global societal impact, such as the development of machine learning for medical image analysis, using AI to map and enhance our understanding of the brain, developing responsible and ethical AI technologies, using AI to power robotics for tasks such as safety and surgery, 3D computer vision, natural language processing, and more. Attracting world-class talent Thirteen of the chairs named in this cohort have chosen to remain in Canada, a testament to Canada's leadership in AI. Twenty-one are either taking up their first faculty position in Canada and/or have been recruited from the US and around the world to pursue groundbreaking research in Canada. With today's announcement, since the program launched in December 2018, a total of 80 Canada CIFAR AI Chairs have been named, securing world-class talent and expertise in Canada. The cluster of AI experts is attracting talented students to study in Canada, major multinational companies to set up R&D labs, and inspiring a critical mass of AI startups. Two researchers awarded Facebook CIFAR AI Chair Pan-Canadian AI Leadership The researchers in this cohort are based at École Polytechnique de Montréal, Google Brain, McGill University, Microsoft Research, Université Laval, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, University of Alberta, University of Toronto, and the University of Waterloo. Quotes "The Canada CIFAR AI Chairs program attracts the best researchers and students in the world to Canada. Through it, we are strengthening our leadership in AI research and creating innovative new technologies to grow our economy, create highly skilled jobs and improve the quality of life for all Canadians," Navdeep Bains, Minister, Innovation, Science and Industry. "Congratulations to the outstanding researchers who are joining the prestigious Canada CIFAR AI Chairs program," says Dr. Alan Bernstein, CIFAR president & CEO. "Canada and CIFAR have a strong history in supporting AI research and talent, and this program will solidify our position as global leaders in AI. "AI has the potential to deliver enormous positive social, economic and environmental benefits," says Dr. Elissa Strome, AVP research and executive director of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, CIFAR. "The Canada CIFAR AI Chairs announced today bring diverse perspectives and expertise. Their research will advance AI technologies that are innovative, responsible, quitable and beneficial to society." "We are proud to partner with CIFAR, continuing our investment in Canada's thriving artificial intelligence ecosystem," says Kevin Chan, head of public policy at Facebook Canada. "Attracting and retaining global talent is an important way for Canada to maintain its global leadership in artificial intelligence." About the CIFAR Pan-Canadian AI Strategy In 2017, the Government of Canada appointed CIFAR to develop and lead a $125 million Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the world's first national AI strategy. Through the strategy, CIFAR works in close collaboration with Canada's three national AI Institutes - Amii in Alberta, Mila in Montréal, and Vector Institute in Toronto, as well as universities, hospitals and organizations across the country. The Canada CIFAR AI Chairs program is the cornerstone of the CIFAR Pan-Canadian AI Strategy. A total of $86.5 million over five years has been earmarked for this program to attract and retain world-leading AI researchers in Canada. About CIFAR By supporting long-term interdisciplinary collaboration, CIFAR provides researchers with an unparalleled environment of trust, transparency and knowledge sharing. Our time-tested model inspires new directions of inquiry, accelerates discovery and yields breakthroughs across borders and academic disciplines. Through knowledge mobilization, we are catalysts for change in industry, government and society. CIFAR's community of fellows includes 20 Nobel laureates and more than 400 researchers from 22 countries. In 2017, the Government of Canada appointed CIFAR to develop and lead the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the world's first national AI strategy. Amii Mila Vector Institute Vector strives to attract the best global talent focused on research excellence in deep learning and machine learning. Our researchers and academic partners are part of a vibrant community of innovative problem-solvers, working across disciplines on both curiosity-driven and applied research. 34 Canada CIFAR AI Chairs named at AICan 2019: Amii (Edmonton, Alberta)
Mila (Montréal, Quebec)
Vector Institute (Toronto, Ontario)
SOURCE CIFAR 
|