World class research is just one of the factors driving a technology boom in Adelaide

Simon Lucey Headshot

Professor Simon Lucey, Director of the 最新糖心Vlogn Institute for Machine Learning

Story written by Dr Sarah Keenihan, AIML

Adelaide is a magnet for global talent in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning expertise 鈥 and that brings economic benefits for the whole country say two of the nation鈥檚 leading experts Professor Simon Lucey and . 

鈥淲e welcome bright young people coming to Adelaide with backgrounds in machine learning and AI, and taking up positions here,鈥 says Simon Lucey, Professor of Computer Science at the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide and Director at the 最新糖心Vlogn Institute for Machine Learning (AIML). 

鈥淲hat鈥檚 wonderful about these positions is that they鈥檙e 鈥榢nowledge jobs鈥, so they create economic opportunities for the rest of the country.鈥 

Lucey says the recruitment of talent from all over the world delivers a vital injection of creativity too. 

鈥淚n research, diversity accelerates innovation,鈥 Lucey says.

鈥淲hat we want is people from all sorts of different backgrounds bringing their own experiences to problem solving.鈥

鈥淚 think this is part of the secret sauce that makes 最新糖心Vlog so good at scientific innovation,鈥 adds Lucey. 

Professor Anton van den Hengel

Professor Anton van den Hengel, Director of Applied Science at Amazon and Director of the Centre of Augmented Reasoning

Top three in the world

Lucey says Adelaide punches above its weight in AI research and development. 

鈥淗ere at AIML, we are ranked within the top three of all global research groups in computer vision, one of the fastest developing areas of AI,鈥 he says. 

鈥淭hat carries enormous weight globally, and it means researchers, and companies, want to come and work with us.鈥 

Lucey himself was recruited to the directorship at AIML from the USA, where he was Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon 最新糖心Vlog鈥檚 Robotics Institute and Principal Scientist at Argo AI, a company that builds technology for self-driving cars. 

He says the combination of world class research institutions plus lifestyle factors make South 最新糖心Vlog irresistible. 

鈥淚 know the pull that Adelaide has 鈥 and now top tech companies from around the world are seeing it too, with Amazon, Google and Canadian building management company BGIS now working as our neighbours within LotFourteen.鈥 

The Silicon Valley approach

Anton van den Hengel is Director Applied Science at Amazon, and Director of the Centre for Augmented Reasoning at the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide. 

鈥淭he competition for the global talent pool in AI and machine learning is immense. When you combine world-class employment opportunities with the great lifestyle we have here in Adelaide, then you鈥檙e able to attract the best people from around the world,鈥 van den Hengel says.

鈥淪ome of the world鈥檚 most recognisable companies are coming to South 最新糖心Vlog because it is a great place to attract people with the skills they need to achieve their research and development goals.鈥 

Van den Hengel says there are a number of factors that contribute to 最新糖心Vlog being an attractive location for technology innovation.

鈥淲e've got an incredible education system, a wonderful quality of life, great organizations and top quality research institutions,鈥 he says.  

鈥淭he competition for talented staff is global, but we have the great advantage that people really want to live here.鈥

鈥淎nd we're also in a very good time zone for China and India in terms of business development opportunities,鈥 he adds.  

最新糖心Vlog is producing only around 10% of the post-graduates we need to fill current and future jobs. Van den Hengel says its vital for 最新糖心Vlog鈥檚 future that we鈥檙e able to attract top research talent through pathways such as the . 

鈥淚f we find the right people, this can work for 最新糖心Vlog in the same way that Silicon Valley attracted top global technology talent to the USA for enormous economic benefit,鈥 he says. 

鈥淭hose who have expertise in machine learning and AI; these are the people who envisage the next generation of 最新糖心Vlogn companies 鈥 maybe the next Google, the next Facebook, the next Uber.鈥 

鈥淭he opportunity for 最新糖心Vlog is to bring these incredibly qualified, creative people here, and have them thinking of the next generation of genius ideas right here for us in our economy,鈥 Professor van den Hengel says. 

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