Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko announced the launch of a competition to support research centers on artificial intelligence, within the framework of which grants will be provided to universities and scientific organizations, [...] the government's website said on Thursday.
The coordination of the competitive selection is entrusted to the Analytical Center under the government. Until 2024, the federal project "Artificial Intelligence" provides 5.4 billion rubles for grants for research centers, another 30% of the amount should be provided by extra-budgetary sources. The total amount of funding will be about 7 billion rubles.
The rules for granting grants to research centers in the field of AI, we recall, were approved in early July. According to the document, the funds can be used to cover the costs of paying for the center's employees, purchasing software, equipment, participating in international scientific conferences, and purchasing services necessary for the center's operation. The amount of the grant for one organization in 2021 cannot exceed 150.4 million rubles, in subsequent years-250.6 million rubles.
A working group chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko will determine the recipients of support in October 2021.
He also noted that the ethical aspects of the introduction of artificial intelligence are a separate important topic in the selection process, which involves the study of human interaction with artificial intelligence systems and the development of appropriate ethical standards.
The list of advanced areas includes the creation and improvement of AI models and algorithms, applied solutions for the development of strong AI and trusted AI systems, as well as conducting research necessary to take into account the ethical aspects of AI application.
The promising industries include medicine, smart city, agriculture, food production, environmental monitoring, advanced robotics and automation of production processes, and the service sector. It also provides for the development of cross-industry areas – biometrics technologies, natural language analysis, the use of AI to ensure cybersecurity.