What's new at AI2? Paul Allen's AI institute wins honors, and hints at more to come

Three years after its founding, Seattle's Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence is racking up recognition in the field of AI research – and some of its research will have an impact on the burgeoning AI market. The institute, known as AI2, was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2014 with longtime computer science researcher Oren Etzioni as its CEO. Since its founding, AI2 has spawned two spin-offs: Kitt.ai, which was created a little more than a year ago; and Xnor.ai, which made its debut this month. AI2 has built its workforce up to 75 people, which Etzioni says makes it the largest nonprofit AI research center in North America. Etzioni said the institute is sharpening its focus on the moonshot challenges that artificial intelligence can address.