Engineering

UNSW.ai

A new UNSW Research Institute in artificial intelligence, data science and machine learning

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UNSW is a significant world player in the development of Artificial intelligence (AI), Data Science (DS) and Machine learning (ML) technology.

Home to Australia’s leading Engineering faculty1, leading school of Computer Science2, and leading school of Mathematics and Statistics3, UNSW’s extensive track record in the research and development of AI and its application is well recognised globally4. Its academic staff hold many prestigious fellowships5, its graduates are sought after across the globe6 and its staff, students and alumni have started many AI technology enterprises.7
Australian and international students choose to study AI at UNSW in their thousands. Their robots are some of the best soccer players in the world.8

UNSW researchers are successfully using AI and related techniques across an enormous range of important areas such as:

  • Optimising catalysis of hydrogen fuel.
  • Autonomous remote monitoring of Australia’s coasts.
  • Safe mining operations.
  • Medical imaging based diagnostics.
  • Epidemiology and hospital safety.
  • Human performance and stress management.

UNSW is also taking a leading role in pushing forward the codification of the use of AI in the law9 and in understanding and highlighting the ethical boundaries where AI techniques can and should really be used for the benefit of society.

  • All up, UNSW has over 300 researchers involved in pushing forward the power of AI related techniques for the good of society. These researchers participate in over a dozen research centres, labs and facilities across all faculties at UNSW, including at ADFA@UNSW Canberra providing Australia’s defence forces with world leading teaching and research.

    This unique capability has developed organically over time but currently lacks a cohesive means to bring them all together.

    UNSW.ai is designed to harness the power of this capability to accelerate our development of new and more powerful AI techniques while ensuring their integrity, security and appropriate use.

    UNSW.ai will provide a forum for our researchers and students to interchange ideas, maximising opportunities for interdisciplinary creativity and serendipitous discovery. It will take on a high visibility role in the public eye to play its part in explaining how AI can be of benefit to society and encouraging debate around it limitations. It will also have a commercial arm, providing high quality engineered AI based solutions for our many external partners in industry, in government and in NFP enterprises.

    In a word, UNSW.ai aims to develop and harness the deep and diverse capabilities within UNSW to deliver impactful AI solutions for the benefit of society.
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Vision

UNSW is recognised as world leader in the development of AI as a safe, reliable and ubiquitous technology for global benefit.
    • Promote research excellence in AI, related fields and applications.
    • Foster interdisciplinary research connections and outcomes in AI.
    • Encourage, support, promote and co-ordinate research funding proposal.
    • Build connection and promote AI in teaching across the university, including through Work Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities.
    • Raise the visibility and profile of UNSW as a world leader in AI technology and its application.
    • Build internal community of practice.
    • Promote and participate in public dialog in the benefits and issues relating to AI:
      -    law
      -    policy
      -    public debate.
    • Where appropriate, play a role in co-ordinating and participating in standards activities relating to AI.
    • Provide an easy to find front door to the university for external parties wishing to engage with UNSW in AI related areas.
    • Drive the commercialisation and realisation of impact of our AI research outcomes.
    • Establish an environment that promotes UNSW staff and students in developing their own new enterprises based on entrepreneurial uses of AI technologies.
    • Support and connect UNSW centres, hubs, facilities, labs etc with an interest in AI.
    • Actively engage and establish partnerships and relationships with external bodies and individuals (academic, industrial, govt, Not-for-profit et al) both locally and internationally.
    1. THE, QS and ARWU rankings
    2. CS Ranking
    3. QS rankings
    4. CS rankings
    5. ARC Laureate, Future and DECRA fellowships.
    6. Some measure of employability - contact MORRI
    7. UNSW Founders, UNSW Knowledge Exchange 
    8. Robocup results
    9. Allens Hub

Upcoming events

  • Medicine and Health

    UNSW AI Institute Discovery Seminar
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Leadership

Director

Haris Aziz

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Chief Scientist

Toby Walsh

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Deputy Director - Science

Sarah Brough

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Deputy Director - Medicine and Health

Louisa Jorm

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Deputy Director - Arts, Design & Architecture

Matthias Haeusler

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Deputy Director – Business

Mary-Anne Williams

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Deputy Director - Defence and Security

Matthew Garratt

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Head - Business Intelligence

Kate Carruthers

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Management/Administrative Team

Business Development Manager

Craig Peden

Marketing and Admin Assistant

TBA

DEE Business Partner

Vaiju Deb

Ways to connect