Advancing AI for societal impact with Tel Aviv University
Almost three years ago, we announced an AI for Good collaboration with Tel Aviv University (TAU), uniting researchers from multidisciplinary backgrounds to promote AI research for societal impact. Today, we’re announcing Google is committing $1 million to advance this partnership over the next three years, and to keep fostering collaboration with the research community.
The budget will be used to accelerate AI research in sustainability and education, to fund collaborative research projects and to support diversity and inclusion initiatives at TAU. Here's how we’re making this possible:
Google and Tel Aviv University (TAU) partners. Left to Right: Prof. Ariel Porat, president of Tel Aviv University (TAU); Prof. Tova Milo, Dean of Faculty of Exact Sciences, TAU ; Prof. Yossi Matias, VP Research, Google and Head of the Google Center in Israel; and Prof. Meir Feder, head of TAU Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (TAD).
Prof. Yossi Matias handing a scholarship certificate to Ameen Ali, PhD Candidate, School of Computer Science, Faculty of Exact Sciences, together with Prof. Ariel Porat, Prof. Meir Feder, Head of the TAD and Dr. Shiri Stempler, Director of Research Collaborations at TAD.
Dr. Deborah Cohen, Senior Scientist at Google Research, moderated the 2023 Google-TAU Research Meeting, which hosted more than 100 researchers from TAD and Google.
Some of the 2023 Google-TAD grant awardees. Left to Right (standing): Dr. Arnon Hershkovitz, Education, TAU; Prof. Tal Pupko, Life Sciences, TAU; Prof. Noa Shenkar, Life Sciences, TAU; Prof. Yossi Matias, VP Research, Google and Head of the Google Center in Israel; Prof. Meir Feder, head of TAU Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (TAD); Prof. Hadas Mamane, Engineering, TAU; (sitting): Ronit Levavi-Morad, Director, Program Management at Google Research; Offir Inbar, Porter School of the Environment, TAU; Prof. Vered Blass, Porter School of the Environment, TAU; Dr. Deborah Cohen, Senior Scientist at Google Research; and Dr. Shiri Stempler, Director of Research Collaborations at TAD Center, TAU.
023 Scholarship recipients. Left to Right: Ronit Levavi-Morad, Director, Program Management at Google Research, Avery Deveto, PhD Candidate, School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, TAU; Rasha Jaber, Master’s student, School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, TAU; and Ameen Ali, PhD Candidate, School of Computer Science, Faculty of Exact Sciences, TAU; Prof. Yossi Matias, VP Research, Google and Head of the Google Center in Israel; and Prof. Meir Feder, head of TAU Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (TAD) .
1. Knowledge sharing
We conduct yearly joint meetings that support the research ecosystem and provide a platform to share knowledge and hear about research from TAU and Google Research teams; we have done so since the launch of our collaboration with the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at Tel Aviv University (TAD) in 2020. These meetings also create an opportunity for researchers to participate in tutorials about Google tools such as Earth Engine (2020) and DynamicWorld (2023).
2. Grants to advance AI research
In 2021, with financial support from Google, TAD provided grants to seven "AI for Good'' research projects, each with potential to make a significant impact. We saw projects across many domains:
- Zoology: Developing high-resolution climate mapping, insect-detection models to reduce risks to food and early warning systems for invasive Mediterranean fish
- Privacy: A project focused on the fair use of synthetic data
- Economics: General falsification tests for instrumental variables
- Natural language: Developing models focused on the Understanding and Execution of Instructions in Natural Language
- Health: An AI-based model for automatic coding of pre-linguistic behaviors in infants
- Humanities: Opening the Dead Sea scrolls to the world
Going forward, we will provide grants to continue to support university research and encourage joint research in the fields of AI for climate and sustainability, and education. These are two areas where there is enormous potential to address some of the largest challenges faced by humanity today.
3. Efforts to promote diversity in science and education
As part of our efforts to make the tech industry more inclusive for all segments of Israeli society, Google is supporting TAU to provide scholarships to TAD Master’s students and PhD Candidates from underrepresented groups. And through the ExactShe mentoring program, female Google researchers will be paired with female researchers and students from the Faculty of Exact Sciences at TAU to conduct mentoring meetings, help them integrate into research and the industry, and support them in overcoming obstacles as they advance in their careers. We believe that by supporting students from different backgrounds, we can help increase diversity in higher education and in the workforce.
From climate change to equality in education, we are committed to continuing to advance AI research together with the research community, to find and build solutions to some of the greatest global challenges. By working together, researchers from academia and Google Research teams can develop new insights and approaches to help build a better future for all.