Westborough, MA, Feb. 13, 2025: The Massachusetts Expertise Collaborative’s (MassTech) Innovation Institute introduced the launch of the Massachusetts (MA) AI Fashions Innovation Problem, a flagship initiative below the newly established Massachusetts AI (Synthetic Intelligence) Hub. The MA AI Fashions Innovation Problem will present as much as $2 million in funding for awards to help groundbreaking AI mannequin improvement initiatives targeted on domain-specific fashions that tackle societal and {industry} challenges in essential sectors of the Massachusetts innovation financial system, together with superior manufacturing, climatetech, training, monetary providers, well being care, life sciences, and robotics.
For extra data on how one can apply, together with the total Discover of Funding Alternative (NOFO), go to the Innovation Institute’s website.
Launched by Governor Maura Healey in December 2024, the Massachusetts AI Hub is designed to place Massachusetts as a worldwide chief in utilized AI innovation. The AI Hub and the MA AI Fashions Innovation Problem are key suggestions from the Governor’s Strategic AI Job Power.
“Massachusetts is dedicated to main the cost in accountable AI innovation,” mentioned Governor Healey. “By launching this Problem, we’re investing in the way forward for AI, one which prioritizes real-world influence and the ability of focused AI options to deal with complicated challenges.”
“Our state has a singular alternative to spearhead the AI revolution,” mentioned Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This Problem is supporting good, moral AI to assist develop companies and appeal to new expertise to Massachusetts on this rising sector.”
“Massachusetts has lengthy been a pioneer in technological innovation, and this Problem represents a strategic funding within the improvement of AI fashions that don’t simply reply questions, they remedy real-world issues and unlock worth in vital sectors,” mentioned Massachusetts Secretary of Financial Improvement Yvonne Hao. “The Problem represents a possibility for researchers and innovators to construct options that immediately profit industries of significance to Massachusetts.”
A central aim of the MA AI Fashions Innovation Problem is to speed up the event of smaller fashions which can be quicker, extra energy-efficient, and higher suited to focused functions particularly industries than giant, generalized fashions. By funding initiatives that develop or fine-tune fashions tailor-made to particular industries, Massachusetts seeks to unlock transformative breakthroughs whereas addressing points corresponding to computational effectivity and sustainability.
“We see the MA AI Fashions Innovation Problem as greater than a funding alternative, it’s a distinctive funding in R&D, the broader AI ecosystem, and within the Commonwealth’s future as a frontrunner in moral and high-impact AI,” mentioned MassTech CEO Carolyn Kirk. “This Problem will catalyze new collaborations and lead to fashions that may drive each scientific discovery and business functions.”
The MA AI Fashions Innovation Problem focuses on supporting initiatives in any respect levels of AI mannequin improvement, from knowledge acquisition to deployment. Key actions embrace high-quality knowledge assortment and preparation, coaching and fine-tuning of fashions, and real-world testing. This lifecycle method goals to beat some of the important boundaries in AI improvement as we speak: securing high-quality datasets which can be each related and dependable.
“Progress in industry-specific AI has been held again by a vital hole, entry to high-quality, usable knowledge,” mentioned Head of AI Innovation at Constancy Investments and co-Captain of the AI Job Power’s Fashions and Information Technique Working Group Vipin Mayar. “This Problem is about bridging that hole by enabling collaboration between {industry} and AI researchers to create fashions which can be powered by domain-specific knowledge and ship exact, related outcomes with broad influence on the Commonwealth and its industries.”
The MA AI Fashions Innovation Problem invitations proposals from tutorial and non-profit establishments based mostly in Massachusetts. Business partnerships are required to boost the relevance and applicability of proposed fashions. The applying interval opened on January 13, 2025, and proposals should be submitted by Friday, February 28, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. EST.
The Massachusetts Expertise Collaborative (MassTech) is a quasi-public financial improvement company that strengthens the competitiveness of the tech and innovation financial system by driving strategic investments, partnerships, and insights that harness the expertise of Massachusetts.
The Innovation Institute is the division of MassTech created in 2003 that advances innovation and cluster progress throughout the state in 4 methods:
- Conducts analysis and evaluation that improves the state’s understandings of unmet wants and alternatives within the innovation financial system
- Serves as convener and key strategic dealer inside numerous sectors
- Manages high-value initiatives on behalf of the state
- Makes strategic investments in help of innovation-based financial improvement
