The University of Adelaide and MTX Group been jointly awarded $100,000 under the Artificial Intelligence for Decision Making Initiative, allowing them to work together to research on machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) for defence and business environments.

Under the initiative, which is a collaborative project between the Australian Government’s Office of National Intelligence (ONI) and the Defence Science and Technology Group (DST), the two organisations have entered into a research collaboration that brings together their academic research and commercial expertise and experience in order to undertake specific, outcomes-focussed research. They will use AI to model uncertainty with a view to avoiding failure within systems.

Dr Duong Nguyen and Dr George Stamatescu from the University’s School of Computer Science will work alongside Dr Ammar Mohemmed from MTX Group.

“Working together with commercial partners like MTX provides a vital extension for our cutting-edge research, including the potential to deliver commercial solutions that generate positive outcomes in the real-world,” University of Adelaide’s Associate Professor Hung Nguyen, Research Theme Leader for Defence, Cyber and Space in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, said.

“MTX has a unique capability in the design and development of decision making solutions and we are excited about working together to solve these challenging problems.”

An initial research project under the initiative will explore the possibilities for reinforcement learning – a machine learning technique designed to remove and correct errors in artificial systems operating in variable environments – to develop algorithms that help organisations make better decisions in the allocation of resources for sustainable operations, including in high security environments.

Potential outcomes from the collaboration could help industries ensure product safety and assist commodity markets set prices of resources.

The collaboration will draw on the University of Adelaide’s leading machine-learning research capabilities and MTX’s unique capabilities in the design and development of industrial and commercial machine learning solutions.

“MTX has deep experience in the commercial application of data and analytics to provide our clients with robust insights enabling more informed decisions and better experiences for the people and communities they serve,” MTX Asia Pacific CEO Ben Papps said.

“By bringing our AI and ML product development and commercialisation expertise together with the outstanding research capability at the University of Adelaide, we hope to produce new techniques that result in real-world efficiencies in the delivery of critical services, business operations and digital experiences. This collaboration is a terrific addition to our Adelaide regional services hub and will enhance the positive impact we make with the government agencies, businesses and community of South Australia.”

Source: University of Adelaide Newsroom. Content has been edited for style and length.

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.

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