Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba on Wednesday opened an artificial intelligence research institute in Singapore in partnership with a local university, as the battle to develop AI technology heats up.

The institute, a tie-up with Nanyang Technological University (NTU), is Alibaba's first joint research centre outside mainland China. It aims to develop cutting-edge AI technologies in areas such as elderly care and urban transport.

The institute will carry out research on artificial intelligence technologies for an initial five years, starting with a pool of 50 researchers from both organisations, according to a joint press statement.

Alibaba chief technology officer Jeff Zhang said the Singapore venture was part of research and development efforts by Alibaba's DAMO Academy, which was launched last year.

A focus of the institute will be on technologies to help in caring for the elderly, including developing robot companions to stay with them at home and sensors to help detect problems.

"Using AI technologies, we can address fundamental societal challenges such as an ageing population," said NTU president Subra Suresh.

Singapore, a city-state of 5.6 million people, has a rapidly ageing population which is causing problems such as labour shortages.

There is intense competition among leading companies in the area of artificial intelligence, with Google, Microsoft and Amazon scrambling to develop new software and technologies.

Related Links
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Holograms and mermaids: Top trends at Nuremberg toy fair
Nuremberg, Germany (AFP) Feb 2, 2018
The Nuremberg toy fair, the world's largest, opened its doors this week to an industry in the throes of reinvention as toymakers vie for the attention of children increasingly glued to smartphones and tablets. With traditional toy companies torn between joining kids in the digital world or coaxing them away from their screens, here's a look at some of the most eye-catching trends from the fair's 69th edition. - Abuzz about nature - Parents whose pleas to "play outside" routinely go unheeded ... read more