7th Global AI Research Center Opens
Strengthening AI research capabilities and securing top talent
Focusing research in the fields of machine learning and speech recognition
Samsung Electronics established a new global AI research center in Montreal, Canada, on the 18th (local time). This is the seventh center, following the AI headquarters in Korea last November, Silicon Valley in the U.S. in January of this year, Cambridge in the UK in May, Toronto in Canada, Moscow in Russia, and the AI research center in New York, U.S., which opened last month.

Montreal, the second-largest city in Canada, is attracting attention as a mecca for AI technology research, where global high-tech IT companies are building future technology research centers and conducting technology development.

Samsung Electronics plans to strengthen cooperation with world-class AI experts, such as McGill University and the University of Montreal, with whom it has collaborated, and actively seek to secure top talent through its Montreal AI Research Center, the fourth to open in North America.

The Montreal AI Research Center plans to lead research in the fields of machine learning and speech recognition, with Professor Gregory Dudek of McGill University serving as the center director. Professor Gregory Dudek is an AI expert in a wide range of fields, including machine learning and Human-Robot Interactions (HRI), and is set to play a key role in Samsung's AI technology research.

About 100 people attended the opening ceremony held in Montreal on the 18th, including Samsung Research Vice President Cho Seung-hwan, Executive Vice President Lee Keun-bae, Head of the AI Center in Korea, Executive Vice President Larry Heck, Head of the AI Research Center in Silicon Valley, Canadian Minister of Transport Marc Garneau, and Philippe Tomlinson, Mayor of Outremont, Quebec.

In his welcoming remarks, Vice President Cho Seung-hwan stated, “Samsung Electronics will focus on creating unique, differentiated value that people have never experienced before by applying AI technology to products and services,” adding, “We expect the seven global AI research centers to play a pivotal role in this.”

Larry Heck, Executive Director and Head of the Silicon Valley AI Research Center, said, “There are many challenges currently facing us in applying AI technology to everyday life. Emphasizing that "collaboration with world-renowned AI scholars is crucial to address this," he stated, "Samsung Electronics will establish AI research centers in regions rich in AI talent to strengthen expertise in each field."

Professor Gregory Dudek, Director of the Montreal AI Research Center, stated, “The Montreal AI Research Center will create synergy by collaborating with the Toronto AI Research Center and leading universities and research institutions in the Montreal region.”

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante congratulated the opening, saying, “The opening of Samsung Electronics’ AI research center will be an opportunity for the Montreal region to further solidify its position as the AI mecca of North America.”

Samsung Electronics plans to expand its global AI research centers centered on the Korea AI Headquarters to secure approximately 1,000 AI advanced R&D personnel by 2020 and continuously expand AI research centers focusing on regions rich in excellent talent and technology.