New Artificial Intelligence Research Institute Launched in Toronto to Anchor Canada as a Global Economic Supercluster

Vector Institute Aims to Produce World's Largest Number of Deep Learning AI Graduates

TORONTO, March 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vector Institute, a new independent research facility for artificial intelligence (AI), opened its doors at the MaRS Discovery District in downtown Toronto today with the aim of producing, attracting and retaining the finest talent in the world as part of a Canadian-rooted economic supercluster that will generate future discovery, opportunity, jobs and growth.

Vector will be dedicated to cutting-edge exploration of AI, specializing in the transformative fields of deep learning and machine learning. Collaborating with academic institutions, incubators, accelerators, start-ups, scale-ups and established companies, it will advance AI research and drive the adoption and commercialization of AI technologies across Canada.

"The Vector Institute is an unprecedented answer to an unprecedented opportunity and represents an exceptional partnership between independent researchers, academic institutions, government, private industry and entrepreneurs," said Ed Clark, Chair of the Vector Institute Board of Directors. "The Vector Institute will confirm Canada's world-leading position in the field of deep learning artificial intelligence. Consequently, it will spur economic growth in Canada by attracting talent and investment, supporting scale-up firms and enabling established firms to be best-in-class adopters of artificial intelligence." 

Vector intends to produce more masters, applied masters, PhDs and post-doctoral graduates in deep learning and machine learning AI than any other institution in the world, attracting top talent, investment, and researchers from around the world and contributing to a more vibrant start-up and spin-off ecosystem.

Its founding scientists, including world-renowned researcher Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, are affiliated with the University of Toronto. Vector is also actively engaging with other universities across Ontario and Canada to attract, train and keep the world's best minds in Canada. It serves as a key pillar to a pan-Canadian AI leadership strategy.

"The opportunities for new discoveries in the field of deep learning are very exciting, and the applications are endless," said Hinton, who will serve as Vector's Chief Scientific Advisor. "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."