Curtin Uni and Optus in AI research effort

Western Australia’s Curtin University has struck an agreement with Optus to research the impact of artificial intelligence on regional telecommunications, higher education and the urban environment.

The five-year alliance will develop an artificial intelligence research group embedded in Curtin’s School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences with links to the Curtin Institute for Computation.

It will also involve the appointment of an Optus chair in artificial intelligence and three Optus research fellows focusing on applying AI technologies in areas such as regional telecommunications. This project aims to improve student outcomes and allocate funds for PhD scholarships and student projects, the telco said on Monday.

Curtin University vice-chancellor, professor Deborah Terry, said in a statement that the alliance will help the university train highly skilled and industry-ready students.

“The development of artificial intelligence is among the most exciting and emerging areas of research and as a leading science and technology research university, Curtin is the perfect partner for this project,” Terry said.