Hyundai, Boston Dynamics Create $400M+ AI Institute
August 12, 2022
Hyundai Motor Group and Boston Dynamics have launched the Boston Dynamics AI Institute, with the goal of making fundamental advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and intelligent machines. The two groups have made an initial investment of more than $400 million in the new institute, which will be led by Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics.
The research-first organization will work on solving the most important and difficult challenges facing the creation of advanced robots, the companies said. Elite talent across AI, robotics, computing, machine learning and engineering will develop technology for robots and use it to advance their capabilities and usefulness. The grup said the culture of the institute is to combine the best features of university research labs with those of corporate development labs, while working in four core technical areas: cognitive AI, athletic AI, organic hardware design, and ethics and policy.
“Our mission is to create future generations of advanced robots and intelligent machines that are smarter, more agile, perceptive and safer than anything that exists today,” said Raibert (right), executive director of the institute. “The unique structure of the Institute – top talent focused on fundamental solutions with sustained funding and excellent technical support – will help us create robots that are easier to use, more productive, able to perform a wider variety of tasks, and that are safer working with people.”
The institute said it will invest resources across the technical areas of cognitive AI, athletic AI and organic hardware design to achieve these advances, with each discipline contributing to progress in advanced machine capabilities. In addition to developing technology with its own staff, the Institute said it plans to partner with universities and corporate research labs.
The Institute will have its headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., in the Kendall Square area. The organization said it plans to hire AI and robotics researchers, software and hardware engineers, and technicians at all levels.
For more information about the Institute, visit its website here.
