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29 researchers named to first cohort of Canada CIFAR Artificial Intelligence Chairs$30 Million in funding announced today intended to keep Canada at forefront of cutting edge AI research MONTREAL, Dec. 3, 2018 /CNW/ - The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) today announced the inaugural cohort of Canada CIFAR AI (CCAI) Chairs at AICan, the first annual meeting of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy. These top academic researchers are named as part of the $125 million Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, and will help maintain Canada's leadership in artificial intelligence research. An important pillar 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 our three national AI Institutes: Amii (Edmonton), Mila (Montreal) and the Vector Institute (Toronto). The first cohort of 29 chairs named below includes established experts as well as promising early-career researchers. The CCAI Chairs will form the research backbone of a robust and sustainable AI ecosystem that will help maintain Canada's leadership role in the development and application of machine learning. In 2017 CIFAR was chosen by the federal government to lead the $125 million Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy in collaboration with artificial intelligence research centres in Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto. Support for the CCAI Chairs is one part of a larger strategy that includes training opportunities, research funding, and workshops on the societal implications of AI designed to build on Canadian leadership in artificial intelligence. The CCAI Chairs were reviewed by an International Scientific Advisory Committee made up of scientific leaders from major institutions and companies around the world, including Google, DeepMind, Microsoft, Facebook, Stanford, Princeton, and the French National Center for Scientific Research. 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. Quotes The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, said, "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. 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." The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, said, "Our universities have been developing Canada's expertise in artificial Intelligence research for years with our government's support. That's why Canada's AI knowledge is far-reaching, our talent pool is deep and our research labs are world-class. I look forward to seeing how these new chairs will help keep Canada ahead of the pack, and I can't wait to hear about the exciting innovations they will develop for Canadians." Elissa Strome, Executive Director of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy at CIFAR, said, "We are delighted to launch the Canada CIFAR AI Chairs program with this announcement and the AICan event. This huge investment is yet another demonstration of our commitment to attracting and retaining the very best AI talent in Canada." Alan Bernstein, President and CEO of CIFAR, said, "We are excited about these outstanding researchers taking up Canada CIFAR AI Chairs across the country. The Pan-Canadian AI Strategy has enabled us to retai 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." John Shillington, CEO of Amii, said "Amii is thrilled to be part of this historic announcement and to play a pivotal role in growing Canada's AI talent. Today's announcement is not only a signal that Canada remains a world-leading destination for AI but also that the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy is working." Valerie Pisano, President and CEO of Mila, said, "Montréal's ecosystem is growing fast and these investments reinforce Montréal's role as world leader in research in deep learning and reinforcement learning." Garth Gibson, President and CEO of the Vector Institute, said "The Chairs announced today are among the most promising researchers in the world and we are delighted by the opportunity to enable them to conduct research that will change the world and Canada with it." Facts and Figures
About CIFAR Amii Mila Vector Institute First cohort of CCAI Chairs Amii - Edmonton Angel Chang, Assistant Professor, Simon Fraser University Mila - Montreal Marc Bellemare, Research Scientist, Google Brain; CIFAR Fellow, Program in Learning in Machines and Brains; Adjunct Professor, McGill University Vector Institute - Toronto Jimmy Ba, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto SOURCE Canadian Institute for Advanced Research |