Google today launched Google Research India, its first AI lab in India. The news comes today as Google also pledged to expand its AI-powered flood prediction system in India to warn nearby residents through smartphones or human volunteers.
The lab will be led by IIIT Bangalore Infosys foundation chair professor Manish Gupta, who has a background in deep learning, video analysis and education. Gupta is also cofounder and CEO of edtech startup VideoKen.
Harvard University professor Milind Tambe will act as director of AI for Social Good for Google Research India and will focus on issues like agriculture, health care, and education.
Some of these topics are already being explored in India.
In February, Google’s AI for detection of diabetic retinopathy in eye scan images was deployed in clinical use in Madurai, India, while a Google Global AI Impact Challenge winner from India is currently working on the use of AI to reduce the threat of pests to crops.
Like its other research centers, Google Research India will submit papers to AI conferences and participate in local AI community events.
The launch of Google Research India joins Google research centers in New York, Toronto, and Zurich and follows the opening of dedicated AI centers and research operations in various parts of the world in recent years.
Former Google cloud chief scientist Dr. Fei-Fei Li opened Google’s first first AI lab in Asia in Shanghai in December 2017.
The Google AI team in France launched in January 2018 will focus on health, science, and art research, while Google announced plans to open its first AI lab from a tech giant in Africa in June 2018.