RBC Research Recruits Artificial Intelligence Expert to Lead Machine Learning Lab
Following recent investments in artificial intelligence, RBC today announced Dr. Richard Sutton, one of the modern day pioneers of AI, as head academic advisor to RBC Research in machine learning.
RBC Research will establish a new lab and plans to work with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute to identify and pursue further research collaboration opportunities on an ongoing basis.
“We are thrilled to be opening a lab in Edmonton and to collaborate with world- class scientists like Dr. Sutton and the other researchers at Amii,” said Dr. Foteini Agrafioti, head of RBC Research. “RBC Research has built strong capabilities in deep- learning, and with this expansion, we are well poised to play a major role in advancing research in AI and impact the future of banking.”
Sutton is recognized for his work in reinforcement learning, an area of machine learning that focuses on making predictions without historical data or explicit examples. Most recently, the techniques were used to secure a first-ever victory over a human world-champion in the game of Go.
“The collaboration between RBC Research and Amii will help support the development of an AI ecosystem in Canada that will push the boundaries of academic knowledge,” said Sutton. “With RBC’s continued support, we will cultivate the next generation of computer scientists who will develop innovative solutions to the toughest challenges facing Canada and beyond.”
“RBC is committed to helping build Canada’s digital future and our significant investments in AI represent part of that commitment,” said Gabriel Woo, vice-president of innovation at RBC. “We believe AI has the potential to bring about major improvements in areas such as client service, fraud prevention and risk management; advancements that will have far-reaching benefits in financial services and beyond.”
RBC Research is also collaborating with the University of Alberta to provide opportunities like internships, academic collaborations and exchanges with the Toronto-based research team to students and researchers.
RBC Research supports RBC’s innovation strategy through fundamental scientific study and exploration in machine learning theory and applications.
