Samsung Electronics Co. keen on building artificial intelligence (AI) power has invited AI experts around the globe to its AI Forum for this year.

Samsung AI Forum 2019 kicked off on Monday as a two-day event in Seoul, where the world’s best scholars and experts would share their views on AI and discuss future strategies for innovation.

“AI technology has already been affecting every corner of the society,” said Kim Ki-nam, Samsung Electronics’ Vice Chairman, during his opening address on Monday. “With the world’s best scholars, we will discuss strategies to make the world a better place at this forum.”

On the first-day session held at the firm’s Seocho office, seven experts including Montreal University professor Yoshua Bengio, UC Berkeley professor Trevor Darrell and New York University professor Cho Kyung-hyun delivered their lectures on latest AI technologies. On the second day today, 12 experts including Washington University professor Noah Smith shared their views on current and future deep learning and AI technology at its R&D campus in Seoul.

An official from the business circle said the number one priority of Jay Y. Lee, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and de facto leader of Samsung Group, is seeking to groom the group’s promising growth drivers. Under the leadership of Lee, the company has been focusing on strengthening research and fostering talents for AI technology development.

The world’s biggest chip and smartphone maker announced in August that it will invest 180 trillion won ($155 billion) over the next three years for future businesses, of which 25 trillion won will be spent on AI and 5G technology.

Lee has been traveling overseas to look for ways to expand AI business and recruit talents since he returned to the management in February last year from a year-long detention in jail for bribery charges of seeking favors from the administration of Korea’s now-ousted President Park Geun-hye. The company has also set up seven AI research centers around the world in Seoul, the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Russia.

By Kim Gyu-sik and Choi Mira

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