Ontario opens Artificial Intelligence Institute

Ontario, Canada is ensuring businesses in the province continue to stay ahead in the innovation economy by supporting a new institute for artificial intelligence (AI) with a specific focus on deep learning and machine learning.

Ontario’s highly skilled workforce, competitive business climate and recognized culture of innovation make the province an ideal home for the Vector Institute for artificial intelligence. The institute will work to produce, retain and attract top talent in the field and generate further investment from companies looking to hire experts and expand their AI divisions.

“Artificial intelligence and deep learning are, in fact, all about people. We will harness these cutting-edge technologies to improve everyday life in Ontario, while also attracting the world’s best talent to our province. These investments strengthen our position as a global leader in the innovation economy, which is critical to creating more well-paying jobs and shared prosperity for the people of Ontario,” said Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario.

“The Vector Institute will help Ontario shape homegrown solutions and stay at the forefront of AI innovation, making improvements from food safety to how we teach our children or better care for our loved ones when they are sick,” said Reza Moridi, minister of research, innovation and science.

“The Vector Institute is a great example of how we’re partnering with the private sector and academic institutions to make sure Ontario is driving innovation. Investments like these will help diversify our economy and create jobs of the future that will be increasingly in demand,” commented Brad Duguid, minister of economic growth and development.

“The opportunities for new discoveries in the field of deep learning are very exciting, and the applications are endless. Now is the time for us to lead the research and shape the future of this field, putting neural network technologies to work in ways that will improve health care, strengthen our economy and unlock new fields of scientific advancement. And with the Vector Institute collaborating with institutes in Montreal and Edmonton we can do that here in Canada,” said Dr Geoffrey Hinton, chief scientific advisor, Vector Institute.