Several Canadian startups have made announcements in artificial intelligence. Here’s the latest on Canada’s AI movers and shakers.
29 researchers named to first cohort of Canada CIFAR Artificial Intelligence Chairs
The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) has announced the inaugural cohort of Canada CIFAR AI (CCAI) Chairs at AICan, the first annual meeting of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy. These researchers are named as part of the $125 million Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, and are meant to maintain Canada’s lead on AI research.
“Artificial intelligence is becoming more and more valuable to Canadians every day. Doctors use it to diagnose cancer. Musicians use it to write songs. Space scientists use it to search for alien life. And thanks to our world-first national AI strategy, Canada is a global leader in this game-changing technology,” said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “Our government will continue to support CIFAR as it helps Canada grow into an international AI hub, creating more jobs and economic growth as a result.”
As part of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, the Canada CIFAR AI Chairs program is designed to attract and retain more than 50 leading AI researchers. The Chairs are nominated by and will be affiliated with one of three national AI Institutes: Amii (Edmonton), MILA (Montreal) and the Vector Institute (Toronto).
“We are excited about these outstanding researchers taking up Canada CIFAR AI Chairs across the country,” said Alan Bernstein, president and CEO of CIFAR. “The Pan-Canadian AI Strategy has enabled us to retain those who laid the groundwork for AI and attract top scientists to Canada from abroad. This is a major step forward for Canada and an essential foundation for growing Canada’s global leadership in AI research and innovation.”
About half of the chairs are taking up their first faculty positions in Canada, and received training all over the world, including in the US, China, Iran, and France. They work on a wide variety of applied and theoretical topics, including natural language processing, image recognition, reinforcement learning, cryptography, convolutional networks and medical diagnosis.
The full list of chairs can be found here.
Stradigi AI and Zú launch Montreal’s first professional applied AI program dedicated to the entertainment industry
Montreal-based AI solutions provider Stradigi AI has announced a partnership agreement with nonprofit organization Zú to create AI solutions for creative entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry.
“We are excited to welcome Stradigi AI as our exclusive corporate partner for the establishment of the applied AI solutions program,” said Nadine Gelly, general manager of Zú. “By bringing their cutting-edge AI technology expertise to our community and mentoring future creators, they will play a critical role in a movement that will propel us towards the future and drive positive change in the city of Montreal and around the globe.”
Set to launch in 2019, Zú will be a place of exchange and creation for entrepreneurs working in content creation and creative technology in the entertainment sector. Through this partnership, Stradigi AI will support Zú’s mission to foster the emergence of projects and startups in these industries by providing resources and specialized training to graduating students in artificial intelligence technology, who will have the chance to work with entrepreneurs and start-ups to help drive their success.
“We are proud to help Zú build a dynamic and creative community that will help drive innovation and attract the best local and international talent in the field of AI. This partnership is exciting to us as it resonates with our firm’s DNA,” said Basil Bouraropoulos, the CEO and co-founder of Stradigi AI. “Giving back to our community and supporting talented creators, who are embracing new trends and working to shape the Montreal of tomorrow, is rooted deeply in our values, and so it aligns with Stradigi AI’s and Zú’s philosophy, making this a brilliant partnership.”
