IIIM News

News about the institution, its research & recent advances

The Robot is About to Run – Nordic Countries Preparing Big Steps in AI

A new research report about the state of artificial intelligence (AI) research and development in the Nordic countries reveals their readiness to move the needle on AI development. Strong interest from governments, established research centers, as well as a highly trusted public sector, form a strong basis for the Nordic countries to further climb the Global AI Index ranking. By reaching rank 11, Finland officially showed that their early phases of preparation have been successfully completed and replaced by the phase of actual development. The other Nordic countries are expected to follow this pattern closely in the coming months and years. They are not only about to move in a single direction, however, but to head into different AI key sectors simultaneously. While Sweden’s strength lies in manufacturing and process industry, Denmark is focusing heavily on life sciences. As one of many examples, this fact underlines the broadness of expertise that is spread all over Scandinavia – making them ready to transform their first steps into a run. -LH

 
The State of Artificial Intelligence in the Nordic Countries [Oxford Research 2021]

IIIM Expresses Committment to Icelandic Government

The EU’s plan for pan-European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) across Europen countries has piqued the interest of the Icelandic government, and on May 11 it announced an interest in receiving letters of commitment from parties hoping to participate in an Icelandic EDIH, of which there is planned only one. The call, published by the EC, explicitly mentions AI centers with “advanced skills” as necessary for participation in the call. IIIM’s highly successful and long-standing close collaboration with industry, government, and academia, have put it at the forefront of applied AI and automation in Iceland. Bridging between numerous industries, academic researchers, and institutions, Continue reading IIIM Expresses Committment to Icelandic Government

Canada Invests Millions in AI, Green Tech & Quantum

On April 19, 2021, Canada’s Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland presented the first Candian federal budget since 2019 and laid open how Canada plans to set its annual economic agenda. It includes multi-million dollar investments to support national communities of research, homegrown talents, start-ups and scale-ups in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). As a concrete number, no less than CA$443.8 million over 10 years have been committed to deal with topics like the commercialisation of AI research, the recruiting of academic talent, Continue reading Canada Invests Millions in AI, Green Tech & Quantum

Open Seminar on Opportunities for AI in Auditing

Dr. Páll Ríkharðsson and Dr. Kristinn R. Thórisson recently presented the conclusions of their year-long analysis on the opportunities of using artificial intelligence (AI) in auditing. Titled Artificial Intelligence and Auditing in SMEs: Attitudes, Expectations and Applications, the hour-long seminar (see the whole recording here) was based on research by the Icelandic Institute for Intelligent Machines (IIIM) and Department of Business Administration at Reykjavik University (RU) for the Association of State Authorized Auditors, analyzing attitudes towards automation and AI, as well as threats and opportunities for its use in auditing. The report answers questions about the practical use of advanced machine learning and other technologies for speeding up, simplifying, reducing the cost of, and improving, standard operations of auditors across a wide range of companies.

Continue reading Open Seminar on Opportunities for AI in Auditing