With PostGenAI@Paris, Sorbonne University becomes a visible force in AI
Interview with Gérard Biau, Director of SCAI.
On May 21 at the Viva Technology trade show, the french President brought together France's leading players in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) at the Élysée Palace. Among the key actions to support this strategic national priority, he announced the creation of nine AI clusters, one of which is led by the Sorbonne Center for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI). Gérard Biau, its director, explains the cluster's ambitions.
Can you tell us about the AI clusters announced by the French President?
Gérard Biau: AI clusters are groupings of research, education and business establishments focusing on artificial intelligence projects. Their aim is to stimulate research, accelerate innovation, strengthen AI training and promote the application of these technologies in various business sectors. In France, nine of these clusters have been selected in a call for projects launched in spring 2023. The Sorbonne University Alliance, via SCAI, proposed the "PostGenAI@Paris" project, which was selected after a year of demanding selection procedures by a jury of international scientists.
What sets your project apart from other AI clusters?
G. B.: What sets us apart is the breadth and diversity of the partners we've brought together. We're working with a wide range of institutions, including the Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas, Sciences Po, the Fondation Sciences Mathématiques de Paris, the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM), the APHP, the Conseil économique et social, the Cour de Cassation and some thirty companies ranging from start-ups to digital giants and major French corporations.
Our project also stands out for the number of students it brings together (over 50,000), as well as for the broad spectrum of disciplines it covers, from mathematics and medicine to the humanities and social sciences. This approach enables us to create unique synergies and offer comprehensive, inclusive solutions relating to all dimensions of AI.
What is the philosophy behind "PostGenAI@Paris"?
G. B.: Today, generative AI is spreading to all sectors of activity, and technological decisions are blending with human decisions. It is therefore necessary to accompany this mutation by participating both in the technological revolution and by taking an ethical and critical look at the use of these tools, their regulation and their regulation in society.
In other words, we want to be a key player in scientific and technical research, while helping to define the informed use of these new technologies. To achieve this, we aim to develop innovative solutions while training future AI experts at all levels, from bachelor's to doctorate, not forgetting lifelong learning. We also want to democratize AI education, as we have already begun to do at Sorbonne Université with the Sorbonne.AI program, which has led to the creation of a minor in AI. Our aim is to amplify these actions so that AI is not just reserved for experts, but that all students in medicine, science, humanities and social sciences can acquire skills in this field to better respond to today's issues and challenges.
What are the main thrusts of your project in terms of research, training and innovation?
G. B.: The project is structured around three axes: disruptive technologies, future health and resilient societies. It is organized around 21 Collaborative Acceleration Projects (CAPs) that bring together academic researchers and industrial partners. Often involving several cluster institutions, these PACs cover fundamental aspects of the field (such as mathematics, machine learning and computer vision), as well as AI applied to medicine, environmental impact and legal issues.
What budget have you obtained for this project and how will it be used?
G. B.: The budget allocated to our cluster is 35 million euros over five years. This funding will be used to support our research projects, develop training programs and federate our community. This includes organizing conferences, funding theses and post-docs, and purchasing technological infrastructure such as a computing cluster. In addition to the budget allocated by the French government, we also receive funds from industry, which will enable us to strengthen our partnerships within the PACs.
What are the next major milestones?
G. B.: We're going to keep up the momentum we've built up since the creation of SCAI. Over the past 5 years, we've won several competitive calls for projects, the most recent being the RHU AI-Triomph coordinated and led by Prof. Magali Svrcek. The PostGenAI@Paris cluster is a new step that marks a change of scale. With this project, SCAI becomes a tool at the service not only of the Sorbonne University Alliance, but also of all the cluster's partners.
In the short term, our priority is to set up efficient administrative management to coordinate these multiple partners, and establish the project's governance bodies, including the scientific council.
The second step will be to apply for other projects on an international scale. In fact, the French President has announced a call for projects for international chairs in this field.
In the long term, we hope that our cluster will become a major player in AI in Europe, capable of attracting international talent and generating disruptive innovations. To achieve this, we aim to create new synergies and establish solid collaborations between our partners in terms of research, training and innovation. Thanks to this project, Sorbonne University is becoming a visible force in AI, one that counts at national and international level.