Google commits $20 million to AI breakthrough researchers

Google is committing $20 million in cash and $2 million in cloud credits to a new funding initiative designed to help scientists and researchers unearth the next great scientific breakthroughs using artificial intelligence (AI), Google DeepMind co-founder and CEO Demis Hassabis said.

The announcement via Google.org said it will help Google ingratiate itself with some of the leading scientific minds, through direct cash injections and by providing infrastructure to power their projects, Xinhua news agency reported.

The winning applicants should be using "AI to address increasingly complex problems at the intersections of different disciplines of science," according to a blog post from Maggie Johnson, Google VP and global head of Google.org.

"Fields such as rare and neglected disease research, experimental biology, materials science and sustainability all show promise," Johnson noted.

Last week, Amazon's cloud leader AWS announced $110 million dollars in grants and credits to lure AI researchers into its own ecosystem.

"I believe artificial intelligence will help scientists and researchers achieve some of the greatest breakthroughs of our time," Hassabis said in a statement.

"We hope the launch of our 20 million dollar fund will help encourage further collaboration between the private and public sectors, kick-start renewed excitement for the power of AI and science, and inspire others to join us in funding this important work," he added.