Tsinghua’s AI centre inspires MIT

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, otherwise famously known as MIT, is investing 1 billion USD in a college for computing and artificial intelligence, hot on the heels of Tsinghua University’s announcement of a new Institute for Artificial Intelligence, in an attempt to complete with the Chinese advantage when it comes to top AI talent and digital economy search.

The new MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing, named after the colleges largest contributor and Blackstone’s CEO, who gave a personal contribution of 350 million USD to fund its establishment, will concentrate on the study of artificial intelligence courses relating to all aspects of human life, be it education, medical care and transport, and much more, as announced by MIT administration.

“As computing reshapes our world, MIT intends to help make sure it does so for the good of all,” stated MIT President L. Rafael Reif.

The practical applications of AI are virtually limitless, from diagnosing illnesses, to improving manufacturing processes, and even enhancing security and surveillance using facial recognition technology.

Major players, be them countries or companies, from around the world are now striving to achieve supremacy in the difficult task of acquiring talent and technological, and with the ever ambitious China aiming to de-throne the US as the leader.

Artificial Intelligence formed a core role in Beijing’s ‘Made in China 2025’ master plan, which promises to lift the country’s industries, from robotics and aerospace to new materials and electrical vehicles, achieving a higher level of self-sustainability while challenging the western major players in the art of cutting-edge technologies.

The new MIT AI college, expected to open in the fall semester next year, will create 50 new faculty positions and many more fellowships for graduate students, according to the statement. This comes as a direct aftermath of the Chinese Tsinghua University announcing the opening of a dedicated AI research center in June. The Tsinghua AI center is being led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences academician Zhang Bo and the Turing Award Laureate Andrew Chi-Chih Yao.

The inauguration ceremony of Tsinghua’s AI institute attracted more than 300 well-known scholars and industry leaders from MIT, Stanford University, Google, Microsoft and elsewhere, according to a press release on its website which was the original source of the inspiration.

Artificial intelligence needs to be viewed as an economic game-changer, whose benefits can be shared and potential problems solved
globally, Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He told a gathering of AI elites in Shanghai last month at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC).