Google is making a significant investment in the future of science and research by committing $20 million in funding and an additional $2 million in cloud credits. This initiative, spearheaded by Google.org, aims to empower scientists and researchers to tackle complex challenges and achieve groundbreaking discoveries using artificial intelligence (AI).
Demis Hassabis, CEO and co-founder of Google DeepMind, emphasized the transformative potential of AI in scientific endeavors. "I believe artificial intelligence will help scientists and researchers achieve some of the greatest breakthroughs of our time," Hassabis stated. The fund, announced via Google.org, seeks to foster collaboration between public and private sectors while encouraging innovative applications of AI in science.
The funding program targets projects that leverage AI to solve intricate problems at the intersections of various scientific disciplines. According to Maggie Johnson, Google’s VP and global head of Google.org, fields such as rare and neglected disease research, experimental biology, materials science, and sustainability hold tremendous promise for AI-driven advancements.
Winning applicants will benefit not only from financial support but also from access to Google’s cloud infrastructure, enabling them to scale and power their research projects effectively. Johnson highlighted that the initiative aims to inspire excitement around AI's potential in science and encourage other stakeholders to join in funding similar efforts.
This move by Google follows a broader trend of tech giants investing in AI-driven research. Recently, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced $110 million in grants and credits to attract AI researchers to its ecosystem. The competition among tech companies to lead AI innovation underscores the growing recognition of AI’s pivotal role in shaping the future of science and technology.
Hassabis expressed optimism about the initiative’s impact, saying, “We hope the launch of our $20 million fund will inspire further collaboration and renewed enthusiasm for the power of AI and science.” By supporting interdisciplinary projects, Google aims to advance knowledge in areas that could benefit humanity significantly, such as sustainability and health care.
This also attests to Google’s philosophy of approaching other world leading scientific minds. Combined here are direct grants of cash and modern cloud solutions that allow the company to become an important partner of the scientific community in the search for new solutions.
The advent of Google fund is a clear testimony that technologies giant deem AI/Science as a perfect cocktail with which to address the challenges. That this race is intensifying towards actually applying AI for the greater good identifies this move as establishing a model for collaboration between tech executives and scientific scientists.