Opening of the International Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence

29. 3. 2021

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The International Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) is a newly established category II centre set up at the Jožef Stefan Institute under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the first and the only centre directly focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) with global outreach. The establishment of the IRCAI centre in Slovenia demonstrates that Slovenian researchers play a leading role in this field of scientific research and that the country provides a stimulating environment for developing a centre of this kind.

International Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence | Author ircai.org

Scientific achievements in Slovenia will be furthered with connections and initiatives to carry on the research centre’s work, which comprehensively addresses AI and aims to achieve sustainable development goals of the UN. Slovenia has ambitious plans when it comes to AI, with almost five decades of experience in research activities and a wealth of internationally recognised research results in the field.

In the year that Slovenia takes up the Presidency of the Council of the EU, one of the priorities will be to strengthen the economic regeneration of the Union based on digital and green transition. The official opening and operation of IRCAI thus brings added value to the EU’s undertaking in the sustainable development of digitalisation and AI.