Nine new AI Research Hubs

UK Research and Innovation recently announced a £80m investment in nine new AI research hubs.

The funds will be awarded to leading UK universities that specialise in ‘next-generation innovations and technologies’ across a number of important sectors.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has invested £80 million in the new hubs.

Research priorities

Through this structure the hubs will provide focused investment. This ‘will enable AI to evolve and tackle complex problems across applications from healthcare treatments to power-efficient electronics’. At this time the research aims to transform the way we develop and use AI.

Centres of research excellence

Each of the nine new AI research hubs will enable a series of specific projects. This is designed to tackle theoretical and practical AI innovations. This investment maintains the UK’s position as a leader in AI research an innovation.

Each university attracts leading academic and research experts. In addition to skills in delivering outcomes that address the opportunities and challenges afforded by AI. The list of projects awarded includes a mix of centres of research excellence. Notable collaborations ensure that a wide range of contributions from different universities.

University of Bristol: The INFORMED-AI hub is developing theoretical foundations and algorithmic approaches for intelligent distributed systems. The AI4CI hub will develop new machine learning and smart agent technologies fuelled by real-time data streams in order to achieve collective intelligence for individuals and national agencies

The University of Edinburgh: CHAI-EPSRC AI hub for causality in healthcare AI with real data and AI for productive research and Innovation in eLectronics (APRIL) hub

Lancaster University: ProbAI: a hub for the mathematical and computational foundations of probabilistic AI

University of Liverpool and Imperial College London: The joint Liverpool-Imperial hub will study foundational AI methods, experimental and computational chemistry, and autonomous, closed-loop robotics for chemical discovery.

UCL: AI hub in generative models

University of Oxford: Focusing on using mathematical principles, this hub will use geometry, topology and probability to enhance AI methods.

Newcastle University: National edge AI hub for real data: edge intelligence for cyber-disturbances and data quality, with contributions from Durham University, University of Hull, Imperial College London, University of Southampton, Swansea University, Cardiff University, University of Warwick, Lancaster University, University of West Scotland, University of St Andrews, Queens University, Belfast.

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