IIT-M launches centre for data science, AI

Robert Bosch Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBC-DSAI) in the IIT-M campus will undertake foundational research in many areas of AI and Data Science, namely deep learning, reinforcement learning, network analytics, interpretable machine learning, and domain aware AI.

IIT-M director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said the areas of activity include research projects, knowledge management and dissemination, outreach projects, and setting up collaborative facilities and laboratories.

“The objective is to advance scientific innovation for societal benefit,” he added.

He detailed that applied research will begin in four verticals such as manufacturing analytics, financial analytics, smart cities, systems biology and health care.

B Ravindran, who heads RBC-DSAI, said that the centre, in addition to fundamental research, is setting out on an ambitious task of creating a portal of curated, India specific data sets that are easy to access and interpret through a set of open tools and interfaces.

Claiming that the partnership between Bosch and IIT-M will accelerate research for societal impact, taking a long term view for the country, he said that in the future, artificial intelligence will be a key component of Bosch products.

“All products will either possess that intelligence themselves, or AI will have played a key role in their development or manufacture,” he added.