DURBAN - MultiChoice and the University of Pretoria have announced that aimed at developing and sustain scarce Artificial Intelligence and specifically Machine Learning technology skills in South Africa.
Through the collaboration between the company and the university, a Research Chair of Machine Learning will be sponsored by the MultiChoice at the university.
According to MultiChoice the field of Artificial Intelligence and specifically Machine and Deep Learning are crucial to the Fourth Industrial revolution and a real digital future.
The entertainment company has identified opportunities to for AI and specifically Machine and Deep Learning to add value to their business ranging from content selection to content recommendations, automated piracy detection, etc.
The Research Chair will act as a link between the two entities to guide them on the projects and research topics that will be selected for sponsorship. They will also be awarding bursaries and support to students at all levels.
The projects are run at various learning levels including final year, Honours, Masters and PhD degrees in the Engineering, Data Science and Computer Science fields. The CEO of MultiChoice Calvo Mawela said that the chair will help MultiChoice grow its pool of talent and engineering to help the company build its digital future.
Mawela said, "Technology and innovation is part of our DNA as a company, so this is a natural extension to ensure we remain at the forefront of developments".
According to Mawela the research chair will allow them to tap into the largest and highest internationally ranked locally engineering school with a superior track record.
Prof Chery de la Rey, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal from the University of Pretoria, said, "It's vital educational institutions invest in researching and educating students about the next waves of technology".