The University of the Witwatersrand has launched the Wits MIND Institute, to focus on fundamental artificial intelligence (AI) research that promotes breakthrough scientific discoveries.
According to a statement, the facility, housed in the new Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, also seeks to address how AI interfaces with society from an ethical and policy perspective, shaping governance and ensuring AI development is safe, inclusive and beneficial to all.
The institute seeks to lead Africa in pushing the frontiers of fundamental AI research and the scientific understanding of intelligence in its many forms, while developing cutting-edge technologies tailored to Africa’s unique challenges, it says.
In addition, it will collaborate with industry partners to develop high-value, innovative technologies, including large-scale AI models with applications in drug discovery, education, business, engineering, mining, material science and astronomy, notes the statement.
One planned collaboration is with IBM, to focus on joint research initiatives, combining expertise and innovation to drive impactful projects. The Wits MIND Institute says it is engaging with market leaders across diverse sectors, including the tech industry, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, retail and logistics.
It aims to grow a much-needed critical mass of AI expertise on the continent, it adds.
Benjamin Rosman, director of the Wits MIND Institute and professor in AI and robotics at Wits University, says the institute is committed to studying intelligence holistically, bringing together insights from machine, human and AI.
“When most institutions, particularly locally, talk about AI, they often focus on applications,” notes Rosman.
“At the Wits MIND Institute, we care deeply about how we understand, and can advance, the fundamental science of AI itself to build the next generation of AI right here in South Africa.
“We aren’t just focused on machine learning or neuroscience; we’re examining intelligence from every angle, with questions such as: What are the processes underlying intelligence – whether in a human, an animal, or a machine?”
Experts from various fields − including computer science, engineering, psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, anatomy, creative arts, anthropology and governance − have been selected to serve in the Wits MIND Institute’s inaugural fellows programme, according to Wits.
This interdisciplinary team will drive the institute’s mission, working in an environment that encourages the cross-pollination of ideas.
“With the Wits MIND Institute, we are not trying to think outside the box, but rather to take a box, fill it with really smart people, shake it and see what happens,” comments Rosman.
“By creating a space for these cross-disciplinary interactions, the Wits MIND Institute aims to supercharge AI research in entirely new directions.”
To support these efforts, it plans to appoint new AI research chairs across Wits University’s five faculties. This initiative will help to channel fundamental research into practical applications across multiple fields, ensuring the Wits MIND Institute’s discoveries benefit various sectors of society.
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