What is Amsterdam AI, technology for people?
Academic, medical and other organisations in Amsterdam will help the city develop and deploy responsible tech in the field of AI in a unique collaboration programme: Amsterdam AI.
Helping the city develop and deploy responsible AI
In December 2019, a group of academic, medical and other organisations in Amsterdam announced the launch of Amsterdam AI, technology for people. This initiative is designed to help the city develop and deploy responsible tech in the field of AI, and focuses on serving people working in health, business innovation and citizen support. The initiative encourages collaboration with leading institutions around the world, as well as public partners and members of the business community.
Coinciding with the launch, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) was selected as a centre of excellence by ELLIS, the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems. Designed to attract and retain AI talent in Europe, the programme selected UvA based on its track record of quality scientific research and work. They also announced the launch of an ‘ELLIS Unit’, which will be run from Amsterdam Science Park.
A billion-Euro investment in the future
Home to the largest innovation and science ecosystem in the Netherlands, Amsterdam has a long history of public-private partnerships and has been promoting research, education and innovation focused on AI for over 30 years. Through the AI Technology for the People initiative, local organisations have developed targets designed to advance the field over the next 10 years, including:
- €1 billion commitment in financial resources to AI
- 800 jobs created in AI education, innovation and research
- 5000 students graduating with a BSc, MSc or PhD in AI technology
- 10,000 students studying AI as a minor
- Impact 100 SMEs through collaborative spin-off projects
- Have 100 AI startups based in the city
Additionally, the initiative will focus on the practical application of AI tech in three domains: AI for business innovation, AI for citizens and AI for health. The initiative will also encourage companies to conduct research in Amsterdam and establish headquarters in the city while helping improve the quality of life for residents and encouraging medical breakthroughs related to AI. The organisations involved in the initiative are the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital (which is partnered with the Netherlands Cancer Institute), the Amsterdam Economic Board, Amsterdam UMC, Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, the City of Amsterdam, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Sanquin, the UvA and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU).
Making Europe an AI leader
The UvA's ELLIS centre of excellence is part of a new project designed to support leading European talent in the field of machine learning. The aim is to make the continent a global AI leader so it can benefit from resulting economic and social developments.
Each participant selected for the project will receive at least €1.5 million in sustained funding annually for the next 5 years. The money will be used to support roughly half a dozen researchers and provide them with a salary comparable to those offered by large tech companies. Operations began in spring 2020.
Max Welling, professor of machine learning at UvA and the leader of the ELLIS Unit in Amsterdam, said at the time: “This ELLIS Unit will further strengthen the leading position of the University of Amsterdam in machine learning and artificial intelligence in Europe. The ELLIS network will facilitate the exchange of top researchers and students in the field of AI.”
Read the New Scientist interview with President of the University of Amsterdam Geert ten Dam and Amsterdam AI programme ambassador Anita Nijboer for more information about the goals of the programme.
