Welcome to Waterloo.ai

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the notion of machines that exhibit intelligence and mimic cognitive functions that are usually associated with humans, such as learning, reasoning, predicting, planning, recognizing, and problem solving. With the advent of big data driven by the explosion of computing capacity and speed, AI tools are being increasingly integrated in technological solutions that are central to our everyday life, business, society, and the environment. 

Formally launched in April, 2018, The Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Insititute (Waterloo.ai) comprises multidisciplinary research teams with expertise in disciplines such as math, computer science, engineering and social sciences. These research teams are world-leading in foundational AI research but also have particularly demonstrated expertise in successfully collaborating with industry. Our applied or 'operational' AI research takes a complementary, problem-driven approach which, when combined with our integrated teaching approach and access to highly qualified talent, allows us to help our partner companies drive a continuous cycle of innovation to develop real-world solutions that address operational problems and enable new products and services. 

Even more importantly, our operational AI research is focused on responsible, reliable, accessible, lightweight and compact solutions, with highly effective intelligence that relies on minimal computing power and energy requirements. 

Waterloo.ai's research projects fall into two main categories:

• AI for Industry: Partnering with small- and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations to tackle specific business problems via operational AI research. Our researchers are currently developing innovative operational AI technology in areas such as medical diagnostics, self-driving vehicles, manufacturing, consumer finance, agriculture, speech recognition and living architecture.
• AI for Social Good: Partnering with for-profit, non-profit and public sector companies to tackle complex issues with broad ranging societal implications. Our researchers have experience in working on problems of social benefit, including specific problems relating to environment and sustainability, aging and health, support of citizen science,  fairness and bias in machine learning, trust in AI systems, and human-AI collaboration, to name a few. Waterloo.ai is also interested in creating an endowment fund which will support partnerships and research on problems of social benefit.

Waterloo.ai is producing end-to-end AI solutions of immediate benefit to all Canadians. In years to come, we expect this research investment to yield profound dividends for the economic prosperity, wellbeing and quality of life of people all around the world.