Google partners with University of Cambridge’s Centre for Human-Inspired AI to develop responsible artificial intelligence
The new Centre for Human-Inspired AI (CHIA) at the University of Cambridge has announced a multi-year research collaboration agreement with Google, including a Google grant, to support progress in responsible AI.
Google’s unrestricted grant is helping enable the centre’s AI research in areas like responsible AI, human-centred robotics, human-machine interaction, healthcare, economic sustainability and climate change.
The expanded partnership builds on years of collaboration between Google Research, Google DeepMind and the University of Cambridge, which includes funding for research and a postdoctoral fellowship.
Google DeepMind also endowed the first DeepMind professor of machine learning at the university’s Department of Computer Science and Technology.
Matt Brittin, president of Google EMEA and University of Cambridge alumnus, said: “AI has huge potential to benefit people across the world – whether it’s through making daily life that bit easier, or by tackling some of society’s biggest challenges. It’s vital that we work together to seize this opportunity. By collaborating with one of our world-leading British academic institutions, we can enable AI research that is bold, responsible and designed to meet the needs of people across the country. This partnership also reaffirms Google’s commitment to the UK as a global AI and technology leader.”
Jessica Montgomery, director of ai@cam, the University of Cambridge’s flagship mission on artificial intelligence, said: “The University of Cambridge can be an engine for AI innovation and a steward of advancements in this exciting field. Translating advances in AI to benefits for science, citizens, and society requires interdisciplinary research that is deeply connected to real-word needs. The research collaboration agreement announced today will support research activities across the University. We want to leverage the world-leading expertise found across the University to enable exciting new advances in responsible AI.”
Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, added: "AI can offer us enormous opportunities – growing the economy, creating new jobs and making lives longer, healthier and happier for British people. To seize those opportunities, we must bring together insights from business and academia to encourage the safe and responsible development of AI. That is why we are welcoming the partnership which Google and the University of Cambridge have announced today.
"As we prepare for next month's AI Safety Summit, this partnership shows that the UK – home to world-leading research facilities as well as some of the biggest tech companies in the world – is perfectly placed to support the innovation that underpins this critical technology."
Professor Anna Korhonen, director of CHIA, said: “Here at the Centre for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence our researchers are dedicated to making sure that people are put at the very heart of new developments in AI. As our first funding partner, Google has been with us from the start of our journey, helping enable the breakthrough interdisciplinary research that we do. Partnerships like this – between academia and industry – will continue to be vital for the successful development of human-inspired AI.”
Zoubin Ghahramani, VP, research, Google DeepMind, is a professor of information engineering at the University of Cambridge and has spearheaded the partnership.
He said: “Google and the University of Cambridge share a deep commitment to developing AI responsibly. We’re excited by CHIA’s potential to set new standards in responsible and human-centric AI development, and unlock AI discoveries that could benefit everyone.”
