Partnership aims to accelerate AI research and real-world innovation
The University of Oxford and UBS have launched the Oxford–UBS Centre for Applied AI, a new initiative designed to deepen academic understanding of artificial intelligence and expand its practical uses across business and society.
The centre brings together researchers from Oxford Saïd Business School and the University’s Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division (MPLS), working in close collaboration with industry experts from UBS. The partnership will support both independent academic research and joint projects shaped by real-world business challenges.
A newly endowed UBS Professor of Applied AI at Oxford Saïd will lead the centre, supported by a 20-member research team. Their work will focus on three core themes:
- AI and Society: examining governance frameworks, the evolving nature of work, and the technology’s environmental and social impact.
- AI for Business and the Economy: developing and testing AI applications that can drive innovation and transformation across industries.
- AI Futures: exploring next-generation AI models, emerging paradigms, and novel applications.
By combining Oxford’s academic expertise with UBS’s industry experience, the centre aims to accelerate the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies that can shape future business practice and societal progress.
Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, welcomed the partnership, stating: “This dynamic multidisciplinary partnership will lead to pioneering new AI research solutions and practical applications at a time of unprecedented technological change. We are grateful to UBS for their vision and support, enabling us to launch the Oxford-UBS Centre for Applied AI.”
She added that the partnership would be “unique in its research power, drawing on Oxford’s business school and scientific research division.”
Mike Dargan, UBS Group Chief Operations and Technology Officer, said:
“We are delighted that UBS will be partnering with the University of Oxford to foster pioneering AI research and develop practical tools and solutions that can be implemented at scale across our firm, accelerating our journey to become a fully AI-enabled institution and shaping the future of financial services.” Photo by mikemacmarketing, Wikimedia commons.