philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

UT professor to lead new Austin-based Sony AI division

The new organization will pursue advanced AI technology at research sites in Tokyo, Austin and Europe. The Austin operations will include an AI lab, which is scheduled to open this year, the company said.

Peter Stone, a professor of computer science at UT with expertise in the AI field, will head up the U.S. arm of the new organization, Sony said. Stone will also continue teaching at UT, and will continue his roles with Texas Robotics and the university’s Learning Agents Research Group in the Artificial Intelligence Lab.

Sony declined to give more details about the size and scope of the Austin division. Stone said his team will include about 13 AI researchers, but at least initially the other team members will be spread out across the country.

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The gastronomy division will focus on bringing Sony’s mission to “fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology” to food, Gephardt said.

“We intend to harness AI and robotics from the perspective of “getting closer to creators,” with the aim of expanding the creative options/creativity of chefs,” Gephardt said. “Top-level chefs can gain inspiration for new recipes by interacting with AI, and we also want to help all of those who prepare food in their day to day lives to enjoy that process of creation even more.”

See the full story here: https://www.statesman.com/business/20191122/ut-professor-to-lead-new-austin-based-sony-ai-division