Digital University Kerala inks pact with UK's Alan Turing Institute to open Centre for AI

Kochi: The Digital University Kerala on Thursday entered into an agreement with the Alan Turing Institute under the University of Edinburgh to establish a Centre for Artificial Intelligence at the Digital Science Park in the state.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was exchanged at the International Conclave on Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) in the city.

"The signing of the MoU marks a significant stride in advancing AI research and development between the two institutions, particularly with the advent of foundation models, AI hardware, robotics and GenAI," the state government said in a release.

Digital University Dean, Alex James exchanged the MoU with Sethu Vijayakumar, the Director for Robotics and AI at Alan Turing Institute and Chair Professor at School of Informatics at University of Edinburgh.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Industries Minister P Rajeeve, Principal Secretary (Industries) A P M Mohmmed Hanish, Digital University Vice Chancellor Saji Gopinath and Edinburgh University Director (South Asia) Athulya Aravind.

The proposed Centre for Artificial Intelligence aims to foster innovation and research in AI, leveraging the expertise of Alan Turing Institute, coupled with the strengths of Digital University Kerala in AI chips and hardware, it said in a release.

"The Centre will focus on the latest advancements in AI and robotics, including generative AI, which is expected to drive AI adoption, offer unmatched scalability, and adapt to new scenarios and use cases.

"The collaboration underscores a shared commitment to advancing AI research and development, as the Centre for AI at Digital Science Park will be a hub for cutting-edge research, fostering innovation, and driving economic growth in the region," the release said.

While the University of Edinburgh is one of the world's leading research universities with focus on research, teaching and innovation, Alan Turing is the UK’s national institute for data science and AI, collaborating with universities, businesses and public institutions to advance the world-changing potential of data science and AI.

Digital University Kerala, as an initiative of the state government, seeks to promote digital innovation and entrepreneurship by providing world-class education and research opportunities in digital technologies and their applications.

The two days of deliberations feature 17 sessions in total and will conclude on Friday evening.