About Us

Strong AI Lab

Leading in learning-based general artificial intelligence, with a focus on complex problem solving with Natural Language (NL)

Developing Intelligence with Symbolic AI and Machine Learning

The Strong AI Lab at The University of Auckland’s School of Computer science intends to lead in learning-based general artificial intelligence, with a focus on complex problem solving with Natural Language (NL); this is a very challenging area of AI research, with high potential commercial impact. We will combine the current Deep Learning revolution in AI with techniques derived from symbolic AI to give computers the powers of understanding and integration.

In short, we are attempting to replicate the central basis of complex human thought in problem solving.

Professor Michael Witbrock

While our long-term goal of human level understanding and reasoning is challenging, near-term advances in understanding text, diagrams and tables so they can be automatically repurposed and combined to answer questions are in reach and could be readily commercialised.

While the Strong AI Lab intends to perform and publish research of the highest, internationally competitive quality, it will also be focusing on the benefit of that research, to New Zealand and to humanity. Locally by collaboration with other researchers in New Zealand and beyond. contributing to a world-class entrepreneurial ecosystem, and globally by aiming towards a good, sustainable and fulfilling future for humanity with AI.

News & Events

AI for good

Jan 10, 2021

The Government is investing millions of dollars in the University of Auckland to help understand and unlock the power of artificial intelligence (AI).

New Zealand workshop on AI research calling for submission 2021

Jan 10, 2021

NZAIR invite you to participate in the 1st New Zealand Workshop on Artificial Intelligence Research (NZAIR 2021) that will take place on 19th February 2021 in Hobbiton, Matamata, New Zealand.

Ongoing Projects & Research

Speech Emotion Recognition

This project evaluates various emotional speech datasets, and training machine learning models on these datasets.

From Symbolic Logic Reasoning to Soft Reasoning: A Neural-Symbolic Paradigm

The goal is to build up an end-to-end neural based reasoning engine. The existing neural based models lack a reasoning engine, and they are not end-to-end training process. The repository also incorporates extra code for research as part of future work.

Open Domain Interviewing Agent

Interviewing is a critical human-to-human task in multiple industries, including journalism, human resources, and qualitative research fieldwork. Interviewing can be broadly defined as an interactive goal-orientated knowledge acquisition task on a target source....

It’s Never Too Late or Too Early to Get Started

The Strong AI Lab has immediate opportunities for Ph.D. Students, Post-doctoral Fellows, and Senior Research Programmers. You are welcome to contact us.

Contact us