Uber opens automotive-focused AI research group in MaRS centre

Uber Technologies Inc is establishing an artificial intelligence (AI) research group at the MaRS Discovery District focused on self-driving vehicles to draw on the region’s world-class AI talent pool. Uber has recruited Univ of Toronto professor Dr Raquel Urtasun, a Canada Research Chair in Machine Learning and Computer Vision, to head up the research group. The San Francisco-based company is also donating $5 million over several years to the recently established Vector Institute which was announced after the federal Budget awarded $125 million for a Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy. The strategy will direct $40-50 million to the Vector Institute which is also receiving $50 million from the Ontario government. Artificial intelligence is a strong contender in the competition for $950 million in supercluster funding which was announced in both the 2016 and 2017 federal budgets. Uber’s decision to locate an AI driverless car research hub in Toronto is not without controversy. Several leading Canadian AI researchers have already departed to the US to join firms such as Google and Facebook. Uber faced controversy of its own last year when it was accused of poaching 35 technical staff from Carnegie Mellon Univ when it launched an Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburgh.