ETH and EPFL jointly found institute for Artificial Intelligence

ETH and EPFL are deepening their collaboration in the area of AI. The two universities have together founded the Swiss National AI Institute (SNAI), further details of which can be found in a press release issued by ETH. At SNAI, the aim will be to pursue a national perspective in relation to AI-based education, research and innovation. Operational responsibility for the Swiss AI Initiative, launched by ETH and EPFL in December 2023, will also be transferred to the new institute in future.

“By jointly launching SNAI, ETH Zurich and EPFL are making a strong long-term commitment to empowering and promoting AI in Switzerland”, comments Christian Wolfrum, ETH Vice President for Research, in the press release. He adds: “We strive to create a research environment that is capable of establishing Switzerland as a location for inclusive, reliable, transparent, and trustworthy AI”. SNAI will be financed by the ETH Board, the two universities themselves, in addition to third-party funding.

SNAI is integrated in both the ETH AI Center and EPFL AI Center. This means that the new institute can draw on the expertise of more than 70 professors in the field of AI, as the press release explains. Wherever possible, the researchers at SNAI intend to focus on open source models, with the aim of ensuring that SMEs and start-ups can also benefit from them.

“SNAI will address AI opportunities and challenges of national importance that require the collaboration of many researchers across our country”, explains Pierre Dillenbourg, EPFL Vice President for Academic Affairs, before adding: “The results of this work will strengthen the competitiveness of Switzerland in AI research and development. ce/hs