Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a global technology leader, announced today the launch of an Advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) Laboratory. The laboratory, based in San Francisco, will focus on advancing the science and practice of AI through innovation and the development of intellectual property and AI-based technologies. Composed of a team of researchers and developers, including AI pioneers and PhDs, the laboratory will collaborate with research institutions, clients, and startups. It already has 75 issued and pending patents that provide a differentiating foundation upon which to build cutting-edge AI solutions. The laboratory is part of Cognizant’s commitment announced last year to invest $1 billion in generative AI over the next three years.
The launch of Cognizant’s Advanced AI Laboratory comes at a time when companies are quickly working to understand the impact of AI and meet the increasing expectations it has generated. Recent research has shown that more than half of executives (66%) are ambivalent or dissatisfied with their company’s progress in AI and generative AI, and the majority of executives (85%) plan to increase spending on AI and generative AI in 2024. In the longer term, a recent study by Cognizant and Oxford Economics concludes that generative AI could inject up to one trillion dollars into the US economy by 2032.
“As AI rapidly evolves towards widespread use, Cognizant is continuously pushing the boundaries through strategic partnerships, training programs, and investments in platforms to be a pioneer in AI,” said Cognizant’s CEO, Ravi Kumar S. “With the launch of Cognizant’s Advanced AI Laboratory, we are advancing this effort by investing in cutting-edge AI basic research that positions us at the forefront of innovation and our industry. Given our close relationship with our clients, we have a unique insight into businesses, sectors, and their AI needs. We are focusing on researching and developing AI to lay the groundwork for better business outcomes and a better future.”
Harnessing the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) to boost worker productivity, the laboratory’s researchers and developers will use Cognizant Neuro™ AI platform to orchestrate LLMs into decision-making AI systems that can positively impact and optimize business outcomes. Beyond basic prompt engineering and fine-tuning techniques, these customized AI applications will be designed to support higher-value outcomes, from strategic executive-level business decisions to business operations including financial, sales, product, and technology support, all the way to daily employee productivity.
“Cognizant’s Advanced AI Laboratory is a key partner for our research community, and we have quickly worked with them on simulating brain dynamics in healthy populations of patients,” said Dr. Manish Saggar, Assistant Professor and Director of the Brain Dynamics Laboratory at the Stanford University School of Medicine. “I am excited about the progress we are making together, as well as their potential impact not only on advancing science but also on developing novel interventions for mental health disorders.”
Specifically, Cognizant’s Advanced AI Laboratory will focus on the following areas:
Research, design, evaluation, creation, and delivery of innovative AI solutions for business productivity and decision-making across various domains.
Collaboration with external organizations, including research institutions, clients, and startups, and participation in socially impactful AI research projects.
Promoting AI-based decision-making solutions globally and strengthening Cognizant as a knowledge hub for peer-reviewed AI research.
Partnering with all Cognizant business lines and practices to train and upskill associates in new AI solutions as they become available through the Cognizant Neuro™ AI platform.
Fostering a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and knowledge sharing.
The laboratory will be led by Babak Hodjat, with extensive experience in entrepreneurship and AI innovation. AI research activities will be supervised by Risto Miikkulainen, a professor of AI at the University of Texas in Austin and a pioneer of neuroevolution. In the past year alone, his team of researchers and developers have published 14 articles in academic journals and received the Best Pathway to Impact award at the NeurIPS 2023 climate change workshop for the article “Discovering Effective Policies for Land-Use Planning.”
In addition to launching the Advanced AI Laboratory, Cognizant is supporting the adoption of AI by companies through its AI Innovation Studios in London, New York, San Francisco, Dallas, and Bengaluru. These studios serve as spaces for inspiration and co-innovation, bringing together clients and employees to identify and collaborate on new business solutions.
Cognizant is committed to upholding the highest standards of responsible and ethical AI, focusing on security, protection, privacy, transparency, and inclusion. For more information on Cognizant’s approach to generative AI and the company’s commitment to responsible AI, Cognizant also conducts research and provides insights to help leaders make informed decisions to drive their companies’ success. In collaboration with Oxford Economics, Cognizant recently published a study on the economic impact of AI, “New World, New Work,” and plans to release new research on the impact of AI on productivity, tasks, skills, jobs, and occupations.