2018 AI Awards Finalists Revealed!

    20 Irish companies at the forefront of the development of AI in Ireland have been shortlisted ahead of the inaugural AI Awards taking place on the 22nd of November at the Gibson Hotel, Dublin.

    The event which recognises companies developing technology in the fields of AI, Machine Learning and Data Science in Ireland attracted over 60 entries across six categories.

    Microsoft will be the principal sponsor for the AI Awards and speaking about the nominations, Principal Data Science and Analytics Manager Brian Mullan said he was delighted to see such a high-level of applications.

    “I was genuinely blown away by the level of creativity and innovation that were presented in these submissions. The potential for global impact that many of these projects could have is incredible. It makes me very proud to see the level of groundbreaking AI innovation taking place in Ireland.”

    Ken Finnegan, Director of Technology and Innovation at the Harbour Innovation Campus also spoke of the great quality of entries and he is really excited to see such a wide range of companies doing great work in AI.

    “The quality of applications for the AI Awards demonstrates the immense talent, skill and vision from the applicants and their organisations. Projects and applications from a wide range of areas and sectors were presented and provided insights into significant cost savings, efficiencies for companies,  better safety and security for the public and many other benefits that have been realised through the use of Artificial Intelligence. The standard and skill demonstrated will ensure Ireland as a choice location for talented AI professionals to grow and succeed.”

    CEO and co-founder of Opening.io Andreea Wade said deciding on the finalists was a lot tougher than she expected and she is looking forward to seeing the AI Awards unearth so much great talent pioneering AI on the island of Ireland.

    “Going through the applications has been a true pleasure and a lot more challenging than expected. A lot of great AI and automation work is being done on the island and most of it is unknown. Real research is not covered by press releases and the path from research into commercial actualisation can take years. I believe the AI Awards have successfully managed to unearth some of this work, individuals and companies working in various different research areas and industries and I truly look forward to further connecting with them.”

    We have been absolutely delighted by the response to the AI Awards and we want to thank everyone who applied. Our judges have been busy the last few days deciding on our 24 finalists over the six categories and it is now time to announce the lucky finalists.

    The finalists are as follows:

     

    Best Application of AI in a Large Enterprise

    Allstate Northern Ireland
    LiveTiles
    McKesson
    Valeo Vision Systems

     

    Best Application of AI in a Startup

    BeeInstant
    EdgeTier
    Getvisibility
    ServisBOT

     

    Best Use of AI in Sector

    Axial3D
    Nuritas
    Orreco
    Soapbox Labs

     

    Award for Best Contribution to AI – Academic Research Body

    ADAPT Centre | Trinity College Dublin
    INFANT Centre | University College Cork
    Prolego Scientific | University College Dublin
    University of Limerick

     

    Best Application of AI in a Consumer of Customer Service Application

    BuyMedia
    Think Biosolution
    Voysis
    Webio

     

    Best Application of AI in a Student Project

    Anandita Pal  | University College Dublin
    David Smyth | NUI Galway
    Niamh Donnelly | University College Dublin
    Santhosh Parampottupadam | National College of Ireland

     

     

    The finalists will present to a panel of judges at the Shortlist Presentations which will take place on Friday, 28 September also at the Gibson Hotel were judges will choose one winner from each category.

    The AI Awards, powered by AI Ireland is a non-profit community devoted to promoting AI in Ireland. The AI Awards aims to increase public awareness of Artificial Intelligence and bring academia and industry together to showcase the excellent work done on the island of Ireland.

    For more updates about the awards, follow us on Twitter @AIAwardsIrl or connect with us on LinkedIn.

    Written By Liam McNamara