MIT, IBM Launch AI Lab to Democratize Access to Artificial Intelligence in India

The Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) in Bengaluru has launched an AI Lab in collaboration with IBM, aiming to democratize access to artificial intelligence and bridge the digital divide. The IBM-MIT AI Lab - MAHE Intelligence GPU (MIG) is a high-performance computing facility that will provide advanced AI computing resources, research infrastructure, and digital skilling opportunities to students, researchers, and institutions across India.

The lab was inaugurated by Prof. Madhu Veeraraghavan, Pro Vice Chancellor of MAHE Bengaluru, and Nisha Gopinath, Vice President of Human Resources at IBM India and South Asia. The facility is powered by advanced GPU-enabled computing infrastructure and can simultaneously support 30 high-performance computing workloads.

The AI Lab will focus on cutting-edge research in machine learning, deep learning, generative AI, computer vision, natural language processing, cybersecurity, healthcare, intelligent systems, and data analytics. It will also provide faculty members, researchers, innovators, and students with world-class computational resources to develop next-generation AI solutions.

The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide by reaching students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 institutions through IBM SkillsBuild's free technology education program. The program will offer AI awareness workshops, immersive bootcamps, hands-on training in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and mentorship from MIT BLRU faculty and student volunteers.