ETH Zurich and EPFL are launching the Swiss National AI Institute (SNAI) to advance artificial intelligence research, education, and innovation in Switzerland. The institute aims to position Switzerland as a leading global location for developing and using transparent and trustworthy AI. SNAI will focus on large-scale AI foundation models, which are the base of modern generative AI, and deploy them in core areas of Swiss society, such as healthcare, sustainability, science, education, robotics, and augmented reality. The institute will operate under a co-leadership model between ETH Zurich and EPFL, with Alexander Ilic and Scarlet Schwiderski-Grosche serving as Executive Co-Directors.
Key researchers involved in the initiative include Ana Klimovic, Pascal Frossard, Marcel Salathé, and Hanna Brahme. The Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) and the Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC) are also collaborating with SNAI to develop high-performance computing and data research infrastructure.
The quotes from Christian Wolfrum, ETH Vice President for Research, and Pierre Dillenbourg, EPFL Vice President for Academic Affairs, set the tone for this ambitious project. They emphasize the importance of creating a diverse research ecosystem that will benefit young talents and strengthen Switzerland’s competitiveness in AI research.
SNAI builds upon the Swiss AI Initiative, launched in December 2023, which brings together researchers from over 10 academic institutions across Switzerland. The initiative has been seeded with a significant computing power of 10 million GPU hours to develop large-scale AI foundation models and deploy them in key areas such as healthcare, sustainability, science, education, robotics, and augmented reality.
The researchers involved in SNAI are committed to transparency, openness, and trustworthiness, as emphasized by Ana Klimovic, ETH Zurich Professor of Computer Science and member of the initiative’s Steering Committee. They also aim to develop infrastructure to train and serve large foundation models energy-efficiently.
The lean management and organizational structures of SNAI, with a co-leadership model between ETH Zurich and EPFL, will ensure efficient decision-making and collaboration across institutions and research areas.
The partnership with the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) and the Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC) will provide access to high-performance computing and data research infrastructure, further strengthening SNAI’s capabilities.
This initiative has far-reaching implications for Switzerland’s AI ecosystem, and I’m excited to follow its progress. As a science journalist, I’ll be keeping a close eye on how SNAI develops and contributes to the country’s competitiveness in AI research and development.
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