Microsoft has announced the launch of its AI for Good Open Call, a $5 million grant program aimed at fostering innovative solutions in Washington state. The initiative invites organizations to use artificial intelligence to tackle significant social and scientific challenges within the state.
Eligible participants include nonprofits, academic institutions, individual researchers, startups, and businesses either based in or benefiting Washington state. The projects must focus on areas such as sustainability, public health, education, or human rights.
This program is part of Microsoft's celebration of its 50th anniversary and aims to showcase global innovations originating from Washington state. It aligns with Microsoft's efforts to develop responsible AI technologies.
Juan Lavista Ferres, corporate vice president and chief data scientist of the AI for Good Lab at Microsoft, emphasized the importance of addressing local issues through this initiative: “If you lead an organization that is tackling one of our state’s most pressing issues, from sustainable energy development to addressing housing affordability, we invite you to apply for a Microsoft AI for Good grant.” He added that their lab will provide extensive opportunities for collaborative research projects using Azure compute resources.
Applicants seeking grants must demonstrate that their concepts have the potential to become unique and scalable solutions to major challenges. High-quality data that is clean, accurate, and unbiased will be crucial for strong applications.
