LG AI Research opens North American Artificial Intelligence Research Center in Ann Arbor with strong ties to U-M

LG AI Research has announced the opening of its new North American LG AI Research Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Located in close proximity to the University of Michigan North Campus, the center’s opening was marked by a ceremony on March 22, 2022.

The LG AI Research Center, LG’s first artificial intelligence (AI) research base outside of South Korea, will be led by Honglak Lee, Chief Scientist of AI at LG and a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at U-M.

In addition, Professor Moontae Lee of the University of Illinois, who joined LG AI Research earlier this year and is in charge of the Fundamental Research Lab which studies large models and advanced AI technologies, will also lead research at the LG AI Research Center.

The center’s mission is to advance AI such as Deep Reinforcement Learning, 3D Scene Understanding, and Reasoning with a Large-scale Language Model and Bias & Fairness related to AI ethics, which LG AI Research sees as the basis for creating AI that thinks and judges on its own with talents. In doing so, LG AI Research plans to strengthen and expand upon LG’s existing AI research collaboration activity with U-M. 

LG AI Research signed a memo of understanding with the University of Michigan College of Engineering in February, and a Master Research Agreement in March, to support joint research activities on advanced AI technologies between the two entities. The cooperation begins in earnest with the March 22 opening of the LG AI Research Center. 

At the opening ceremony, eight faculty leading AI research at U-M were present, including Eric Michielssen, Associate Dean of Research at the College of Engineering, and Michael Wellman, the Richard H. Orenstein Division Chair of Computer Science and Engineering. LG AI Research officials including Honglak Lee and Moontae Lee were also present. Along with several U-M faculty members, they attended to share current AI research topics and discussed future collaboration plans.

Michielssen commented that, “Through our partnership with LG AI, students and faculty will be able to trade expertise with our counterparts at one of the most innovative AI research centers in the world.”

Wellman also noted that “our faculty and students are excited to strengthen and deepen the existing cooperation with LG AI and to advance highly complex and interdisciplinary AI research that will have a positive impact on the world.”

The LG AI Research Center is also actively recruiting talented people from North America to join and strengthen the research capabilities of the center, beginning immediately with an on campus recruiting and collaboration opportunities event at U-M on March 23. LG AI Research plans to quickly expand the scope of employment to all regions of North America and lay the groundwork to become a “global AI research hub.”

“Opening the North American Center is the first step for LG AI Research to enter the global scene beyond South Korea. We will expand our line of sight and stretch points of contact to universities and research institutes around the world to facilitate global-level research cooperation,” said Honglak Lee.

LG AI Research has previously announced plans to increase the number of core AI research personnel at the company to 100 by 2021 and to secure global AI global leadership by nurturing 1,000 AI experts within the group by 2023.

LG CEO Koo Kwang-mo has previously said that through LG AI Research, he will support the best talents and partners gathered and challenged to their heart’s content in this effort to support the development of a global AI ecosystem.