Toronto Takes on Silicon Valley to Become AI Startup Hub
Canada’s long-running investment in artificial intelligence development and technology may be paying off, as Toronto capitalizes on the region’s academic heft.
Aerial view of the University of Toronto, where academics like Geoffrey Hinton have been studying AI for decades.
Photographer: Wei Fang/Moment RFFew figures have loomed larger in recent public dialogue over artificial intelligence than Geoffrey Hinton, the groundbreaking AI researcher who famously left Google Brain in May, saying he wanted to be free to speak about the risks of artificial intelligence.
But some might be surprised to learn that Hinton does his work far away from the tech sector’s geographic epicenter in Silicon Valley. For 35 years, Hinton has been a formative player in building up AI capacity in Toronto. Now, the largest Canadian city is emerging as a potential AI hub, as commercial opportunities rapidly expand.