Ex-Baidu and Google scientist will work with Foxconn to bring artificial intelligence to factories
Andrew Ng says in talks with iPhone and iPad assembler since July but doesn’t reveal details of tie-up
Andrew Ng, former chief scientist at Baidu and leader of the Google Brain deep-learning project, on Thursday said he will collaborate with Foxconn Technology to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in its factories.
Ng, who launched his start-up, Landing.ai, this week, said in a blog post that Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer of consumer electronics, will be Landing.ai’s first strategic partner. He said his interaction with Foxconn began in July but did not offer any details on how they will cooperate, or which of Foxconn’s customers would be affected.
“Landing.ai will help transform companies for the AI era. We are starting with the manufacturing industry. For the whole world to experience the benefits of AI, it must pervade many industries, not just the IT industry,” said Ng.
“Manufacturing touches nearly every part of our society by shaping our physical environment. It is through manufacturing that human creativity goes beyond pixels on a display to becoming physical objects,” Ng said. “ By bringing AI to manufacturing, we will deliver a digital transformation to the physical world.”
Ng said he understood AI was likely to displace factory workers but that his start-up was working on training workers for higher-skilled factory work involving computers.
Founded in 1974, Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, has been an assembler of computers for Dell, and assembles iPhones and iPads for Apple.
