Pittsburgh Launches NVIDIA AI Tech Community to Drive Innovation Forward

Today, a groundbreaking collaboration is set to redefine the landscape of artificial intelligence and robotics innovation. The NVIDIA AI Tech Community Initiative has been launched in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, marking a new era of collaboration between academia, industry, and public-sector groups. This initiative is a stride forward in leveraging AI to foster creativity, develop cutting-edge solutions, and position Pittsburgh as a leader in technological transformation.

NVIDIA’s Collaboration with Universities

NVIDIA has strategically chosen Pittsburgh as the site for its inaugural AI Tech Community, capitalizing on the city’s robust ecosystem in robotics and AI. This initiative involves collaborations with two prestigious institutions, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Pittsburgh, along with startups, enterprises, and organizations in the area. The partnership will facilitate unprecedented access to NVIDIA’s state-of-the-art AI technologies and resources.

At the heart of this collaboration are two joint technology centers. NVIDIA’s Joint Center with CMU will primarily focus on robotics, autonomy, and AI, drawing on CMU’s extensive experience in fields such as autonomous vehicles and natural language processing. Another center, established with the University of Pittsburgh, will delve into AI and Intelligent Systems with particular attention to health sciences applications, including clinical medicine and biomanufacturing.

Leveraging Cutting-Edge Technology

The community will utilize an extensive range of NVIDIA’s advanced AI tools and platforms. These include:

• NVIDIA DGX for AI training: Designed for large-scale AI model training efforts.
• NVIDIA Omniverse for simulation: Facilitating the simulation of intricate environments and interactions.
• NVIDIA Jetson for edge computing: Delivering AI models at the network’s edge.
• NVIDIA Isaac Lab for robot learning and NVIDIA Isaac Sim for robot simulation: Paving the way for breakthroughs in robotic environments.
• NVIDIA NeMo for custom generative AI: Aiding in the development of unique AI models.

These technologies will lay a strong foundation for both CMU and the University of Pittsburgh to spearhead innovations in their respective domains. Through NVIDIA’s AI platforms, they will have access to unrivaled computational power, accelerating the pace of research and enhancing the scalability of AI applications.

Real-World Applications and Industry Impact

In practical terms, the NVIDIA AI Tech Community Initiative will have far-reaching impacts on various industries:

• Health Sciences: The University of Pittsburgh will leverage AI to enhance clinical medicine and biomanufacturing, ultimately aiming to improve health outcomes.
• Robotics and Autonomy: CMU will foster innovation in robotics and autonomous systems, benefiting sectors like manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare.

The initiative will also stimulate startups and commercialization opportunities. For instance, Lovelace AI and Skild AI are two burgeoning companies already integrating NVIDIA’s technologies. Skild AI is using NVIDIA’s Isaac Lab to develop a scalable robotics foundation model known as “Skild Brain,” which they aim to implement across a variety of tasks.

Quotes on the Initiative

Key visionaries have shared their thoughts on this initiative:

• Theresa Mayer, Vice President for Research at CMU, stated: “Pairing Carnegie Mellon University’s existing deep expertise and resources in AI and robotics with NVIDIA’s cutting-edge platform, software, and tools has tremendous potential to power Pittsburgh’s already vibrant innovation ecosystem. This unique collaboration will accelerate innovation, commercialization, and operationalization of robotics and autonomy, advancing the best impacts of AI on society.”
• Rob A. Rutenbar, Senior Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Pittsburgh, remarked: “Pitt has a long history and extraordinary research strengths in life sciences and learning sciences. By focusing on computational and AI opportunities across these ‘meds and eds’ areas, we plan to leverage our collaboration with NVIDIA to explore new ways to connect these breakthroughs to improved health and education outcomes for everybody.”
• Amit Goel, Head of Robotics Ecosystems at NVIDIA, expressed: “The era of physical AI is here. Working with the Pittsburgh Robotics Network, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University will jumpstart meaningful private-public collaborations to further accelerate national generative AI and robotics expertise and innovation.”

Future Predictions and Workforce Development

This collaboration is poised to catapult Pittsburgh’s innovation landscape into the future:

• Accelerated Innovation: The initiative focuses on accelerating the innovation, commercialization, and operationalization of AI and robotics technologies, with Pittsburgh poised to emerge as a leader in these fields.
• Workforce Development: With training through NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Institute, the initiative will ensure a well-prepared workforce adept at driving future advancements in AI, having already trained over 650,000 individuals globally.
• Ecosystem Growth: Collaborations with the Pittsburgh Robotics Network and other local organizations will nurture a vibrant ecosystem for AI and robotics, enhancing the impact of technology on a commercial scale.

In summary, the NVIDIA AI Tech Community Initiative is set to transform Pittsburgh into a thriving hub for AI and robotics innovation, leveraging academia and industry strengths. By driving technological advancements and fostering real-world applications, this initiative not only promises to streamline operations and enhance productivity but also sets the stage for the next era of AI excellence.

Discover more about the NVIDIA AI Tech Community Initiative here.