Facebook to open a new Artificial Intelligence research lab in Montreal

Facebook will build a new Artificial Intelligence lab in Montreal, according to reports.

The social media giant has asked McGill University’s Joelle Pineau to lead the lab in Montreal.

Pineau is currently the co-director at the Reasoning and Learning Lab in the School of Computer Science. Her research focuses on developing new models and algorithms that help computers make more informed and intelligent decisions.

The company says its Facebook Artificial Intelligence Researchers (FAIR) “seek to understand and develop systems with human-level intelligence by advancing the longer-term academic problems surrounding AI.”

Facebook’s research focuses on the full spectrum of topics related to AI, and to deriving knowledge from data: theory, algorithms, applications, software infrastructure and hardware infrastructure.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed the news of Facebook’s decision to bring its AI lab to Montreal.

“When tech giants like Facebook decide to invest in our cities, that is not only a testament to the world-class talent of our people, but also to Canada’s enormous potential as an innovation and tech hub,” he said in a statement.

“Facebook’s new lab in Montréal will underline Canada’s status as a global AI powerhouse, and a leader in the economy of the future — and encourage other leading tech companies to set up shop here and create good, middle-class jobs for Canadians.”

The company currently has AI research centers in Paris, New York City, and Menlo Park.

Montreal is also home to several other tech giants including Google, Uber, and Microsoft.

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