Alice Chambers |
Microsoft has opened an AI Co-Innovation Lab in Uruguay, the first of its kind in Latin America and the third outside of the USA.
According to Microsoft, the lab will quickly show organisations and business partners how to take advantage of AI and IoT technologies to visualise, innovate and solve transformation challenges. The team will provide knowledge from software engineers, data scientists and programme managers from Microsoft and help to project manage, design and prototype technology for clients and partners.
The centre has been established in the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay by Juan Lavista, chief scientist and director of Microsoft AI for Good Research Lab.
“Uruguay is the country that has the largest number of developers per capita in the region and even the largest number of people with knowledge of AI per capita, and for us that was essential,” said Lavista to EFE, discussing why Microsoft chose Latin America as a destination for the lab. “Today AI has the benefits that it can work in very diverse areas, so we are not closed to certain types of projects.”
The inauguration ceremony for the lab was attended by Luis Lacalle Pou, president of Uruguay, as well as other members of government and Microsoft.
“This is a monumental step towards a future in which Uruguay will not only be on a par with world leaders in AI but will also be in a position to surpass them,” said Lacalle Pou. “Let’s hope that this laboratory will be a beacon of innovation.”