The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) has launched the Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Launched concurrently with the new Wits Anglo American Digital Dome<\/a>, it is set to focus on fundamental AI research to drive scientific discoveries and develop AI expertise in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is in attempt to position the continent as a creator rather than merely a consumer of AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wits said that unlike many other institutes worldwide that concentrate on developing AI end-user applications, the Wits MIND Institute’s primary focus is on fundamental AI research \u2013 the foundational science behind artificial intelligence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Benjamin Rosman, Director of the Wits MIND Institute and Professor in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at Wits said that “when most institutions, particularly locally, talk about AI, they often focus on applications.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “At the Wits MIND Institute, we care deeply about how we understand, and can advance, the fundamental science of AI itself to build the next generation of AI right here in South Africa,” said Rosman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its model emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration, with 34 experts from diverse fields selected for its inaugural Fellows Programme<\/strong><\/a> to drive its mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It will appoint new AI Research Chairs across its five faculties to translate fundamental research into practical applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are not trying to think outside the box, but rather to take a box, fill it with really smart people, shake it and see what happens,\u201d said Rosman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He added that “by creating a space for these cross-disciplinary interactions, the Wits MIND Institute aims to supercharge AI research in entirely new directions.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n