The forthcoming professorships represent a significant step in strengthening the AI research ecosystem in Finland and Europe and in promoting long-term competitiveness in the field of artificial intelligence, while also supporting the activities of the international ELLIS Institute.

Foundation PS, established by Peter Sarlin, aims to continue supporting world-class AI research in Finland, with a particular focus on the activities of the PS Fellow network formed through the professorships.

"In today's world, AI is a key driver for competitiveness and growth, and Finland's success relies on world-class expertise and talent. To succeed, we must strengthen our AI capabilities in research, education, and industrial applications. My donation is intended to foster and grow an attractive environment for world-class AI expertise and breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. Together, we can accelerate Finland's and Europe's competitiveness on the global AI stage," says Peter Sarlin.

"World-class expertise in the domain of artificial intelligence is in demand – comprehensive and multidisciplinary research is needed. The donation by Peter Sarlin supports our high-quality research on the legal considerations surrounding AI and issues in legal informatics. We are grateful for the donation, and the University of Lapland will use it to support a new professorship in AI-related legal issues," says Antti Syväjärvi, the Rector of the University of Lapland.

"This donation towards ELLIS Institute professorships will strengthen and expand our already world-class expertise and competitiveness," says Samuel Kaski, Aalto University professor and director of ELLIS Institute Finland. "The ELLIS Institute will enable us to ambitiously recruit global talent."

Peter Sarlin is the co-founder and CEO of Silo AI, Europe's leading private AI lab. The company's acquisition by US-based AMD was the largest AI acquisition in Europe's history. Sarlin, who holds a PhD in machine learning, also serves as Professor of Practice at Aalto University, specializing in machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Peter Sarlin established Foundation PS to strengthen Finland's and Europe's AI research ecosystem and competitiveness. By funding professorships and supporting world-class research, the foundation aims to drive innovation, attract top talent, and solidify Finland's and Europe's position as a global leader in AI.

Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence FCAI is a community of experts in artificial intelligence in Finland, initiated by Aalto University, University of Helsinki, and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. FCAI is one of the Research Council of Finland's Flagships, hubs, top-level research and impact.

ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems), founded in 2018, is a European network of leading AI organizations that focuses on fundamental research, technical innovation, and impact. ELLIS is creating a network of research sites distributed across Europe and Israel consisting of ELLIS Units and ELLIS Institutes. Currently, there are 41 ELLIS Units and 1 Associate Unit in 17 countries. Prior to Europe's second ELLIS Institute in Finland, the first ELLIS Institute was set up in Tubingen in 2023. The long-term goal is to establish a set of world-class ELLIS Institutes, each acting as the core of a local AI ecosystem.

Further information:

Rector Antti Syväjärvi, University of Lapland
Tel. +358 400 606 244
antti.syvajarvi (at) ulapland.fi

Professor Rosa Ballardini
Faculty of Law, University of Lapland
Tel. +3578 40 189 8816
rosa.ballardini (at) ulapland.fi