(Yicai) April 1 -- Fudan University in Shanghai has inaugurated its Institute of Trustworthy Embodied Artificial Intelligence, focused on promoting cutting-edge technological research and the practical application of embodied AI.

The newly established institute will integrate the research forces of multiple disciplines, including computer vision, natural language processing, robotics, control systems, and technology ethics, Fudan University said yesterday.

The institute will develop intelligent agents with autonomous exploration capabilities, continuous evolution characteristics, and in line with human values, providing the core driving force for the future realization of human-machine collaboration and the construction of an intelligent society, according to the university.

The Institute of Trustworthy Embodied AI will focus on important industry issues and research basic theories and key technologies to generate and accelerate the practical application of relevant innovative tech and attract high-end talents, said Jiang Yugang, vice president of Fudan University.

The institute will focus on five major directions of embodied AI technologies: basic models, data engines, embodied interaction, ontology development, and the establishment of trustworthy mechanisms, Jiang noted.

Among them, basic models aim to achieve general embodied intelligence by developing a new generation of embodied basic models, the data engines mainly provide data support for the training of basic models, and embodied interactions enable intelligent agents to have a more natural and humanized embodied interaction experience, Jiang added.

The research and development work of the institute will mainly focus on creating humanoid robots that can serve in intelligent manufacturing, as well as home-based elderly care services, Jiang pointed out.

Existing manufacturing robots are still limited to performing simple repetitive tasks, while the institute aims to enable intelligent agents to be capable of completing complex tasks similar to humans, Jiang said, adding that achieving this breakthrough requires enhancing the collaborative ability between the mechanical performance of the body and the intelligent decision-making system.

The Institute of Trustworthy Embodied AI will closely cooperate with Fudan University's School of Innovative Intelligence Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing to cultivate top innovative talents in the industry, Jiang noted.

Fudan University launched its AI Grand Courses for all students last autumn semester, offering at least 100 AI courses. Around 70 percent were newly formed, including general AI foundations, professional core AI, advanced AI subjects, and vertical applications in the AI field.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev