The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar has established a new AI and HPC Research Center (AHRC) to conduct interdisciplinary and collaborative research in the field of AI and High Performance Computing (HPC).

The centre started working on developing AI tools for the diagnosis of several diseases.

AHRC is designed as a National Research Center with the participation of other eminent academic, industry, and government research organisations in India and abroad to find solutions to real-world problems in several areas through research, innovation and application of Artificial Intelligence and High-Performance Computing.

Director, IIT Bhubaneswar, who serves as the chairman of the AHRC Board, Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar said: “This one-of-a-kind national research centre hosted by IIT Bhubaneswar will provide a global platform to the researchers from the state and across India for leading-edge research and innovation in the field of Artificial Intelligence and high performing computing, which is the need of the hour.”

Karmalkar said: “AHRC scientists are working on developing AI tools for diagnosis of several diseases and fast screening for life-threatening diseases in the rural communities in Odisha in collaboration with scientists from AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) Bhubaneswar and State University of New York in the United States.”

Prof Ashwini Kumar Nanda, who leads AHRC activities as its founding centre director, said: “The goal of AHRC is to bring global knowhow to serve the people of India, as well as make global technology impact and serve the global community through its world-class research.”

AHRC will promote a collaborative environment where scientists and academicians from multiple disciplines and multiple institutions will come together to form a common resource pool and knowledge pool to cope with this fast-moving field.

“Researchers from various fields of engineering, computer science, medicine, agriculture, basic sciences, finance, economics and other areas will work together to find integrated and comprehensive solutions to problems faced by industry and society,” said an official of IIT.