The initiative involves procuring six supercomputers and financially supporting two doctoral candidates. UiA will fund two of the computers, while Sparebanken Sør will provide the remaining 26.9 million kroner.
Leader of the project, Ole Christoffer Granmo, professor and director at the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR) at the University of Agder, has had a long standing vision for a more democratic and eco-friendly AI, dating back to 2018 when he first introduced the Tsetlin Machine. This innovative approach relies on logic rather than traditional numerical machine learning, making it faster, more cost-effective and transparent. The goal is to create an open and democratic AI that can reveal its decision-making process, addressing concerns about bias and opacity in existing AI systems.
Granmo highlights the inefficiency and complexity of current AI, which often operates with little transparency and can perpetuate discriminatory behaviors based on historical data.
The six supercomputers will empower UiA with unparalleled, world-class computing power, boasting 208 petaflops. This formidable capability positions UiA to challenge tech giants, particularly American ones, with a greener and more democratic AI that consumes up to 10,000 times less energy.
The five-year goals for the UiA project encompass establishing UiA and Southern Norway as pioneers in democratic AI, developing AI technology for the healthcare sector, creating an open, understandable, green, and accessible alternative to tech giant AI, and fostering cross-disciplinary AI technology across UiA's fields of expertise.