Montreal-based Element AI has expanded to London, UK.
Dr. Julien Cornebise, a former DeepMind scientist, will lead the lab as director of research. Cornebiese was an early employee of Deepmind before it was acquired by Google in 2012. He created and led the Health Applied Research Team, and has been working with Amnesty International since he left DeepMind in 2016.
The company says that it’s focusing on ‘AI for good’ through this office, while also expanding its network of researchers, scientists, and the private and public sector.
“AI for food can mean many things — at Element AI, I see it as using AI and ML to empower those who are already fighting the good fights,” said Cornebise.
“Element AI’s expansion into Europe with a London office is our first step in collaborating with Europe’s top AI talent and connecting them with our AI teams in Canada.”
“Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are powerful tools that deserve deployment beyond industrial, market-driven applications. Amazing people in NGOs, international organizations, and local initiatives alike, have dedicated their lives to solving the most important problems, such as fighting for human rights, more equitable access to resources, and education. At Element AI, we want to give these amazing organizations access to the type of AI talent that is out of reach for so many, working hand-in-hand on their world-changing programs and initiatives, driven by their domain knowledge.”
The office will also serve as Element AI’s European head office with plans to grow to over 20 full-time researchers and employees.
Element AI’s London office will focus on three core initiatives, including leveraging AI to help solve global issues by empowering NGOs, intergovernmental entities, and local actors; advancing methodological research as needed by these applications; and connecting AI scientists and engineers in developing nations through fellowships and visiting scholar programs.
“Element AI’s expansion into Europe with a London office is our first step in collaborating with Europe’s top AI talent and connecting them with our extensive AI teams in Canada; all while working with several of the most prestigious organizations to leverage AI for good,” said Element AI CEO Jean-François Gagné.
“Element AI is committed to enabling AI for Good in our society; we believe this technology can help tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues and London will help make that a reality. We’ve handpicked Dr. Julien Cornebise to lead our efforts in London because his values and experience aligns with Element AI’s goal to balance advances in industry while leading the charge for positive social change. Julien’s unique experience includes applying AI to humanitarian issues in collaboration with Amnesty International and co-founding the Health Research team during his time at DeepMind. We are confident that Julien is the right leader to kick start our European operations and are thrilled to have him on board.”