The aim of the innovative Lab42 in Davos is to decode the mechanisms underlying human intelligence and to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the benefit of mankind. The starting point for this venture is rooted in the fact that modern systems are able to “master any rule-based task far better than humans can, but they fail when encountering unforeseen, completely novel situations”, explains the Swiss AI pioneer and founder of Lab42, Pascal Kaufmann, in a press release. He presented Lab42 at this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF).
Kaufmann is also the originator of the challenge known as Abstraction and Reasoning Corpus 2 (ARC-2) launched by Lab42. Those interested in taking part can register until July 1. The challenge encourages AI enthusiasts to develop a program that not only displays skills, but also has the requisite intelligence to create new capabilities. According to the press release, thousands of new tasks have been created by people from all over the world in an interactive manner. “Lab42 shall be the epicenter for a new understanding of intelligence”, comments Philipp Wilhelm, Mayor of Davos.
Lab42 introduced Peter G. Kirchschläger at the WEF as Head of the Ethics Advisory Board. The professor of theological ethics at the University of Lucerne praised Lab42 for setting up an independent advisory board and an internal ethics team: “Bringing together ethicists and programmers in a collaborative model is exemplary and necessary”, he concludes.
“We are ready”, confirms Simi Singh, one of the youngest entrepreneurs in Switzerland and a driving force behind Lab42, before adding: “We are very comfortable with AI and with interacting with robots. It’s part of the progress of humanity. AI can lead us into a new golden age”.
Artificial intelligence
Tap into Europe's leading AI talent base
Switzerland and the Greater Zurich Area have occupied top positions in renowned worldwide rankings on innovative strength and talent availability. Switzerland boasts the highest number of AI companies per citizen, according to ASGARD, a Venture Capital firm for Artificial Intelligence. Greater Zurich’s various research institutes, such as ETH Zurich and its AI Center as well as the Swiss AI Lab IDSIA, continue to rank as some of the leading technical institutes in the world and attract the best talents and companies including Google, IBM, Microsoft, Facebook, Oracle and many others.
Whether it's the development of a human-like intelligence or the programming of independent problem-solving solutions: in the Greater Zurich Area, the world's best talents work to decode the principles that govern intelligence. In many industries, established companies and emerging startups are pushing forward projects and business ideas that focus on all facets of artificial intelligence such as machine learning, natural language processing, neural networks or computer vision.
Related news
Contact us
Can we put you in touch with a peer company or research institute? Do you need any information regarding your strategic expansion to Switzerland's technology and business center?
info@greaterzuricharea.com