Narayan AmmachchiSouth Korean electronics manufacturer LG Electronics has teamed up with the University of Toronto to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) research laboratory.
The lab, which will be built somewhere in Central Toronto, will develop AI functions that LG wants to embed in devices like smartphones, televisions, home appliances, and refrigerators, among others.
“The presence of such leading, multi-national firms in our innovation ecosystem strengthens opportunities for our faculty, students and start-up companies across a whole range of disciplines,” said Meric Gertler, President of Toronto University.
LG also considered Montreal for its Canadian location, but ultimately settled for Toronto because of the local university’s expertise in deep learning, according to Bloomberg, which cited Chief Technology Officer I.P. Park.
At the lab, university researchers will work alongside LG’s US R&D teams. LG runs similar labs in the United States, India, South Korea, and Russia.
The South Korean company’s newly launched smartphone, G7 ThinQ, already includes several AI functions. The handset comes with a Google Assistant button and a new AI cam that will identify objects in the frame and apply the best filters for the best picture.
“AI will ultimately touch everybody’s lives, transforming the way we live, work, and play,” said Park. “Early implementations of AI in connected devices today are setting the stage for tomorrow’s smart cities, smart homes, smart businesses, and smart devices, all with capabilities that no one has even dreamed of yet.”
LG competitor Samsung Electronics has also announced launching a similar AI lab in Toronto, which has become a magnet for technology companies, overtaking the San Francisco Bay Area in the growth of tech jobs.
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