News

January 8
Databricks raises $10 billion in landmark funding round >
US-based software company and Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) research partner, Databricks, has raised $10 billion in one of the largest private funding rounds to date. With a valuation of $62 billion, Databricks cements its position as a leader in data and AI technology.
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9 January 2025
New AI tool improves quality of 113 counselling >
Salim Salmi, a mathematician from the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, developed an AI tool to assist counselors at 113 Zelfmoordpreventie in their chat conversations with individuals at risk of suicide. The tool analyzes chat interactions and suggests ways to guide the conversation, based on successful past cases.
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8 january 2025
Five Year Investment in Responsible AI Research - KPMG and AI4FinTech >
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) has secured a five-year investment to drive research at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and accountancy. This structural funding will enable the UvA to delve deeper into both AI applications in auditing and the critical task of auditing AI systems themselves.
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6 January 2025
Can AI Detect Violence in Crowds Before It Happens? >
Detecting violence in large crowds through surveillance footage? It's possible with artificial intelligence (AI). But before implementing such technology, it is crucial to carefully consider the ethical implications. AI researcher Emmeke Veltmeijer concludes that it’s more important than ever to develop ethically responsible models and maintain an ongoing conversation about them.
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31 December 2024
Executives Concerned: ‘AI Will Replace Jobs’ – Key Findings from ING Survey >
An increasing number of executives from large Dutch companies are expressing concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) will lead to job displacement. This is one of the key findings from the annual CEO survey by ING, which involved 263 major Dutch businesses.
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31 December 2024
Looking Back: Amsterdam AI Thesis Award 2024 Highlights >
On December 12, 2024, we celebrated the winners of the Amsterdam AI Thesis Award 2024 during our Amsterdam AI Highlights Event. The event brought together top researchers and AI professionals to honor the thesis work of the students!
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30 December 2024
The Future of Computing: Faster and More Sustainable >
Andy Pimentel, professor of Parallel Computing Systems at the University of Amsterdam’s Informatics Institute, is tackling two pressing challenges in computing: speed and sustainability. As innovations in AI and data analytics drive demand for faster systems, the environmental impact of energy consumption has become a critical issue.
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26 December 2024
Contenders for the Zorginnovatieprijs 2025 Regional Preliminaries Announced! >
We are thrilled to be part of organizing the regional preliminaries for the Zorginnovatieprijs 2025, a prestigious award for AI scale-up companies in healthcare innovation.
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26 December 2024
AI in Healthcare: How Amsterdam UMC Embraces Innovation >
A key focus for Amsterdam UMC is the collection, storage, and sharing of reliable data, as quality data is essential for effective AI applications. In addition to internal efforts, Amsterdam UMC collaborates with regional partners to improve data quality and promote innovation. The applications of AI at Amsterdam UMC are diverse. For instance, a blood culture model can predict whether blood sampling is necessary in the emergency department, helping to prevent unnecessary treatments. In cardiology, an AI model identifies subtle abnormalities in heart scans (ECGs) that may indicate heart issues, guiding decisions about further testing, such as MRIs. To ensure patient data confidentiality, Amsterdam UMC has developed a secure AI sandbox . This environment provides a safe alternative to public platforms like ChatGPT, allowing for the development of AI tools while protecting sensitive data.These initiatives showcase how AI is transforming healthcare processes. Amsterdam UMC also invests in training its staff to utilize data and AI effectively in their daily work. Discover more about these groundbreaking advancements and watch the video here with examples.
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23 March 2025
Why GPT Can’t Think Like Us >
Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially large language models like GPT-4, has made remarkable strides in reasoning tasks. However, a new study highlights the limitations in AI’s ability to truly understand abstract concepts, suggesting that it’s more about mimicking patterns than genuine comprehension.
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20 March 2025
Call for Participants: Help Test a New AI Powered Recommendation System for NEMO Kennislink! >
NEMO Kennislink, in collaboration with researchers from UvA, HvA, and CWI, is testing a new AI-powered recommendation system in the AI Media & Democracy Lab. We’re looking for enthusiastic participants to read NEMO Kennislink articles on their smartphone via a special test app for two months.
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March 18
Lemni secures €3.3M pre-seed funding for AI-driven customer interactions >
Amsterdam-based AI startup Lemni has officially launched, securing €3.3 million in pre-seed funding led by Sequoia Capital. The investment will help Lemni accelerate product development, expand its team, and scale its AI-driven customer interaction platform globally.
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March 11
Russian disinformation infiltrates AI chatbots on a large scale >
A NewsGuard audit reveals that the ten largest AI chatbots repeat disinformation from a Russian propaganda network 33% of the time. By systematically spreading false information, the Kremlin influences how AI systems process and present news.
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March 11
Pacmed wins regional round of the Zorginnovatieprijs 2025 >
Pacmed Critical, an AI-powered dashboard for Intensive Care units, has won the regional round of the Zorginnovatieprijs 2025. This recognition provides an extra boost for Pacmed co-founder Wouter Kroese and his team in further developing their AI solution. The final of the National Zorginnovatieprijs will take place on March 13.
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