Our announcement this week that we’ll invest $5 million in the newly formed Vector Institute is the latest example of our work with Canada’s thriving artificial intelligence community. When the Toronto-based AI research organization approached us for help, we were quick to join in, along with Google and some of Canada’s top corporations.
It’s a natural combination. We’ve worked for years to drive technology that supports AI. And Vector’s other sponsors in areas like finance, healthcare and automotive are prime candidates for implementing GPU deep learning to create smarter, more efficient products for their large customer base. It’s also a great opportunity for us to expand our activities in the key Canadian market. We opened our first Canadian office in Toronto in 2015, and we’re turning it into a hub for top AI talent. And through our AI startup program, Inception, we’re working with dozens of startups in the Toronto area alone.