Hyundai Motor Group has launched the Boston Dynamics AI Institute^[1]. Specifically, the creation of the Institute aims to make fundamental advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and intelligent machines. Hyundai and Boston Dynamics will make an initial investment of more than US$400 million in the new Institute. Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics, will be at the helm of the Institute.

Create Future Generation of Advanced Robots

As a research-first organization, the Institute will work on solving the most important and difficult challenges facing the creation of advanced robots. Elite talent across AI, robotics, computing, machine learning and engineering will develop technology for robots. Specifically, they will use it to advance their capabilities and usefulness. The Institute’s culture is designed to combine the best features of university research labs with those of corporate development labs. It will do this while working in four core technical areas: cognitive AI, athletic AI, organic hardware design as well as ethics and policy.

“Our mission is to create future generations of advanced robots and intelligent machines that are smarter, more agile, perceptive, and safer than anything that exists today,” said Marc Raibert, executive director of Boston Dynamics AI Institute. “The unique structure of the Institute — top talent focused on fundamental solutions with sustained funding and excellent technical support — will help us create robots that are easier to use, more productive, able to perform a wider variety of tasks, and that are safer working with people.”

Investment Focus

To achieve such advances, the Institute will invest resources across the technical areas of cognitive AI, athletic AI and organic hardware design. In order to achieve this, each discipline will contribute to progress in advanced machine capabilities. In addition to developing technology with its own staff, the Institute plans to partner with universities and corporate research labs.

The Institute will be headquartered in the heart of the Kendall Square research community in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Moreover, it plans to hire AI and robotics researchers, software and hardware engineers, and technicians at all levels.                    

[1] The name of organization may be changed at the time of corporate registration.