House of AI boosts business reformation
‘The roots of AI research at Aalto go back long before the university was founded, and today the research is at the top level globally,’ says Heikki Mannila, Professor of Computer Science. ‘For a small country like Finland, it is also important to strengthen our own expertise in the development and application of artificial intelligence.’
‘We are already part of the flagship Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI), which represents the absolute best in the world in its key areas of expertise. A lot of multidisciplinary research is already being done there, which forms a very strong foundation. However, there is plenty more potential for high-quality interdisciplinary research at Aalto, which combines AI and other fields and has a societal impact,’ says Mannila.
The new Aalto University House of AI responds to this need, taking AI research forward and applying it in a multidisciplinary way. It operates in seamless collaboration with FCAI. The establishment of the centre was made possible by a 3.2 million euro donation from the Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation.
‘We wanted to play a significant role in encouraging and helping Finnish technology companies to be much more active in seeking opportunities to use AI in their business. We have a lot of high-quality expertise in academic research groups in Finland, and now we want to use it to develop business,’ says Aaro Cantell, Chairman of the Board of the foundation.
Impact is achieved through many routes
According to Mannila, the societal impact of AI is realised both through practical research applications and by training experts. AI is already revolutionising the way research is done, but its societal impact is yet to come.
‘Artificial intelligence compares to the internet as a powerful technology that offers new opportunities and fundamentally changes society. This change is already starting to show in areas such as programming and the use of language models, for example in translation. However, the impact of AI is still at an early stage, and it is impossible to predict all the trends.’
The House of AI will focus on specific themes with strong transformative potential, potential for industrial collaboration and a sustainability perspective. So far, three themes have been selected: energy systems, AI in telecommunications and sustainability solutions for manufacturing.
Aaro Cantell, Chairman of the Board of the foundation‘Successful examples will then serve as an incentive for other companies. These projects will contribute to increasing Finland's AI expertise and attracting new talent from outside Finland.’
‘All of the themes combine different disciplines and aim for high quality and significant societal impact. Ethical issues related to the use of AI are considered in all activities,’ says Mannila.
The world of research is often perceived as slow to respond. The House of AI aims to be more agile and to embrace the possibility of rapid pilots. ‘When thinking about interdisciplinary collaboration and corporate collaboration, it is good to be able to quickly try out different approaches. Pilots can be six-month or one-year projects, either within the university or with partners,’ says Mannila. ‘Quick pilots are based on long-term, high-quality research – they couldn’t be done without a solid foundation.’
Looking for tangible results and growth opportunities
Aaro Cantell is keen for the House of AI to enable reformation and growth for companies through AI. The House of AI's model of seeking solutions specific to industry and to application environments aligns well with the goal of having concrete results fairly soon.
‘Successful examples will then serve as an incentive for other companies. These projects will contribute to increasing Finland's AI expertise and attracting new talent from outside Finland.’
Text: Heidi Hammarsten
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