Three Infomedia initiatives in the final for national AI center
We are delighted to announce that three initiatives affiliated with our department are among the 19 selected initiatives across the country that have advanced to the final round in the competition to become national research centers for artificial intelligence. 鈥淭his is great news,鈥� says Andreas Opdahl, head of one of the initiatives.
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The Research Council of Norway will advance to the final round of the competition to establish national research centers for artificial intelligence. Among them are three initiatives led by staff from the Department of Information and Media Studies, reaffirming the department鈥檚 position as one of Norway鈥檚 leading research environments in artificial intelligence.
- Insight: New AI Methods for Innovative Uses of Public Data
- SEAIR - Centre for Socially Empowered AI Research
Leading the center initiatives are professors Andreas Opdahl, Marija Slavkovik and Barbara Wasson, respectively.
Each initiative represents a distinct approach to artificial intelligence: the Insight Center will develop new AI methods for innovative use of public data, the Center for Socially Empowered AI Research focuses on the interaction between artificial intelligence and society, while the AI 鈥嬧�婥enter for the Empowerment of Human Learning takes an interdisciplinary approach to explore how AI can enhance human learning.
The three initiatives have advanced to this crucial stage following a rigorous selection process. Out of 122 initial sketch applications, 50 were invited to submit full proposals, and now, only 19 have been chosen to move on to the final round.
The Department of Information and Media Studies also contributes to initiatives led by other institutions, including the Centre for AI-Based Societal Decision Support, coordinated by the Western Norway Research Institute, and the Norwegian Center for Language Modeling, coordinated by the University of Oslo.
On the Research Council鈥檚 website, Chief Executive Mari Sundli Tveit expresses strong satisfaction with the level of commitment:
"We have seen tremendous interest in this national research initiative in artificial intelligence. Academic and research communities across the country have worked diligently to bring together leading expertise around key research themes. This will be essential for Norway to position itself internationally, enhance its competitiveness, and harness artificial intelligence for the benefit of society."
The final allocation of funding for 4 to 6 national AI centers will be announced in June 2025. This initiative is part of the government鈥檚 multi-year investment in research on artificial intelligence, digital security, and the societal impacts of technological development 鈥揵acked by a total budget of at least one billion Norwegian kroner.