Development of AI at UWB: the University is one step closer to becoming a major player in the field

Support for education, networking or research. The University of West Bohemia in Pilsen will gain these and other benefits thanks to a newly signed memorandum of cooperation with the Czech Association for Artificial Intelligence. The university will thus become a major player in this key field.

On 3 December, the Rector of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen Miroslav Lávička signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Director of the Czech Association for Artificial Intelligence (ČAUI) Lukáš Benzl: "The key is to connect the academic environment with the AI ecosystem, from the private sector to the non-profit sector. The transfer of knowledge from UWB towards our members has a huge potential," said Lukáš Benzl. "I greatly appreciate the trust and look forward to our joint activities in 2025," he added. With this step, the University confirms its commitment to the development and ethical use of artificial intelligence in research and education.

The involvement of the University of West Bohemia (UWB) in the CAUI will bring several major benefits to the university, one of which will certainly be the promotion of research and innovation. "Joining the ČAUI is a strategic step for the University of West Bohemia. Membership will give us access to the latest knowledge and technologies in the field of AI, deepen our cooperation with leading experts and institutions in the Czech Republic and strengthen our position in this dynamically developing field," said Vice-Rector for Strategy and Development Josef Basl.

Research and development in the field of artificial intelligence is nothing new at UWB - experts here have created applications that provide access to archives of historical documents, help with administration in hospitals, or recognize various species of plants and animals. Computer speech synthesis has also been developed at UWB for a long time, with the most famous project in this area being the revival of the voice of Pilsen native Karel Gott using AI. Thanks to the involvement in the activities of the association, the possibilities for UWB to continue to participate in the development of AI in the Czech Republic with an emphasis on ethical principles and social responsibility will expand.

Supporting education is another important item on the list. Membership will enable UWB to improve teaching and expand the range of AI education on offer. Participation in events and workshops organised by ČAUI will provide inspiration for modernising and innovating study programmes, as well as for creating courses focused on practical applications of AI.

Another important point is networking and collaboration. The association provides opportunities for networking with experts from other academic and industrial institutions, which will open the door to collaboration on national and international projects. UWB will thus be able to use these opportunities to expand its research network, exchange know-how and collaborate on the development of AI applications in various fields.