Uber targets Toronto for artificial intelligence hub

Toronto looks set to become Uber’s next artificial intelligence research hub as the company strives to develop self-driving cars.

It will hire “dozens” of artificial intelligence researchers in Toronto – its first research facility outside the US, HuffPost Canada reports

“With support from the Ontario and federal governments, Toronto has emerged as an important hub of artificial intelligence research, which is critical to the future of transportation,” Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick says.

The company has hired University of Toronto associate professor Raquel Urtasun to head up the new lab.

She will help Uber’s driverless cars to “see” the world around them, including things like other moving cars, pedestrians and the colours of street lights.

“We hope to draw from the region’s impressive talent pool as we grow, helping the dozens of researchers we plan to hire stay connected to the Toronto-Waterloo Corridor,” Kalanick says.

The Toronto division of Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group will join already existing facilities in San Francisco and Pittsburgh, both cities where Uber has been road-testing driverless cars.