Uni launches AI institute
The age of artificial intelligence is upon us.
While the thought of this may make some Kiwis uneasy, – with technology being New Zealand’s third biggest industry – businesses are calling on AI to stay ahead of the curve.
In a bid to not fall behind other countries and equip industries with the skills to turn data into life, University of Waikato has launched its new AI institute, Te Ipu o Te Mahara, meaning ‘‘A Receptacle of Consciousness’’.
The institute is a first for New Zealand and builds on Waikato University’s history as a trailblazer in the field.
Speaking to a crowd of 300 at its launch on Tuesday night, vicechancellor Neil Quigley said he was proud to see Waikato become a hub for AI.
Waikato’s 25 years of work in machine learning placed it in the best position to lead New Zealand into this new world, he said. Over 25 years, Waikato researchers have published many projects on machine learning and built internationally recognised operating systems’ data mining and artificial intelligence.
One of those systems, WEKA, became the world’s first open source machine learning library and has since been downloaded more than 10 million times.
Researchers have also written books on machine learning and data mining used by Google employees and computer science departments in universities around the world.
Deputy vice-chancellor research Professor Bryony James said that ‘‘desire to see the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning harnessed’’ will see the new institute explore where AI can be used, not just agriculture and horticulture where the most advances have been made.
The institute, which will open for 2022, will take an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to the development of cutting-edge research focused on real-time analytics for big data, computer vision and deep learning.
The university has also recently invested in New Zealand’s most powerful computer for AI.
While this institute will be a win for Waikato, institute director Professor Albert Bifet said the impact it would have for the whole country would be extensive. With New Zealand’s top 200 tech companies bringing in $12.7 billion in 2020, he said AI would transform research and business here.
‘‘New Zealand is in a very good position to make a large contribution that will be very useful for people all around the world,’’ Bifet said.
‘‘Artificial intelligence and Ma¯ ori tech have been identified as enabling growth engines for New Zealand and the purpose of Te Ipu o Te Mahara is to leverage our world-leading expertise to benefit New Zealand.’’
Alongside Professor Bifet, Professor Bernhard Pfahringer, Professor Eibe Frank and Associate Professor Te Taka Keegan are co-directors of the institute.
The institute will offer programmes in schools, deliver professional programmes for industry and help people connect and invent new ways to address the challenges of today, using AI.
Te Ipu o Te Mahara will sit within the division of health, engineering, computing and science at Waikato University.