Amii's $30M Investment: Expanding Interdisciplinary AI Research

An historic expansion

On January 31, 2023, Amii announced a historic investment of $30M in funding to continue and expand our research program, including the recruitment of 20 new faculty members in various disciplines at the University of Alberta.

The move significantly widens the scope of Amii’s core research program. Since Amii’s inception, Fellows have hailed exclusively from computer science (CS) departments, except those cross-appointed to other departments. While these latest appointments have opened new positions in the CS department, it expands into other departments and faculties as well – recruiting field-specific experts who also have experience in AI.

For the past two decades, Amii’s research strategy has produced world-renowned results. We are one of only three National AI Institutes under the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy. Our region is one of the most advanced in the world for AI and ML research. Our Fellows are titans in the field, with high-profile breakthroughs, paper publications and speaking engagements under their belts.

So why widen our scope?

Accelerating interdisciplinary research

The funding announcement kicked off a recruitment effort spanning the globe, targeting the brightest rising stars in the cross-sections of AI and field-specific research.

The pitch is this: accepting one of these positions would give researchers access to the ideas and expertise of other Amii Fellows, allowing them to accelerate and push the boundaries of their research.

If embedded into a different University of Alberta faculty or department, they can also access the strengths, perspectives and resources there, ensuring their research is both well-supported and highly relevant to the field. Chosen candidates are also put on the tenure track and become eligible for a Canada CIFAR AI Chair nomination.

As potential candidates may have more expertise in their field of study than in ML, access to Amii Fellows and their ML expertise has proven to be the largest draw.

This is also a boon for existing Amii Fellows. By placing researchers with different backgrounds and expertise in each other’s orbits, the entire team benefits from access to broader perspectives, novel ideas, and the opportunity for more organic, inclusive collaborations.

There are currently 44 Amii Fellows & Canada CIFAR AI Chairs at universities across Western Canada, most of whom regularly communicate or collaborate. The imminent addition of these new appointments positions Amii to be one of the world’s largest fundamental AI research groups.

“Connecting those experts from other faculties with the deep AI expertise of Amii Fellows will be a catalyst for exponential impact across industries," says Rosa Ellithorpe, Amii’s Director of Academic Relations.

“AI is transforming every industry - from agriculture to health care to manufacturing - and Amii's interdisciplinary recruitment strategy positions Alberta to be at the forefront of AI advancement in these sectors.”

Unlocking potential

Combining this multidisciplinary knowledge has the potential to spur discoveries and create massive efficiency and accuracy gains, benefitting all areas of life.

Increasing the accuracy of diagnostic and predictive tasks in healthcare. Boosting crop yield and minimizing food waste. Exploring the correlation between digestive system disorders and mental health.

The impact also extends to more obscure or less tangible areas, addressing how ML can be applied to space plasma science, theoretical quantum physics and Indigeneity.

This stage in the process is exciting and full of opportunity. One researcher has already been appointed; Bailey Kacsmar became an Amii Fellow in July 2023, focusing on the design of human-centred and privacy-preserving ML.

Other candidates have been selected (yet not announced), and applications are still open for several roles.

"With this investment, Amii looks forward to growing this model to include a focus on areas that can be transformed by breakthroughs in AI and solve the world's biggest problems: pandemics, food insecurity, climate change, and healthcare," said Amii CEO Cam Linke at the funding announcement.

"Our collaboration with U of A continues our ambition in research, and Amii is positioned to translate this research into industry for maximum impact."

Accelerate your research at one of Canada’s largest fundamental AI research centres