Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) in Edmonton, Canada, has announced a five-year, C$30 million ($22.5 million) commitment from the nonprofit Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR).

The pledge will help support 20 new artificial intelligence (AI) research positions—a significant increase from the current 11 researchers—and extend funding for four existing faculty members at the University of Alberta (U of A) as part of Amii’s ongoing collaboration with the university. The new positions will focus on interdisciplinary research, exploring how AI can push the boundaries of research in fields including health, energy, physics, and Indigenous leadership. Amii anticipates the expanded research staffing will accelerate its capacity to engage with current AI applications, connect its research with local industry, and develop new technologies to advance the field.

“With this investment, Amii looks forward to growing this model to include a focus on areas that can be transformed by breakthroughs in AI and solve the world's biggest problems: pandemics, food insecurity, climate change, and health care,” said Amii CEO Cam Linke. “Our collaboration with U of A continues our ambition in research, and Amii is positioned to translate this research into industry for maximum impact.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/gorodenkoff)