I-X

Abstract lines and connections in blue

Applying expertise in AI and data science to solve global challenges

Read our introduction to I-X

I-X is an ambitious new research initiative at Imperial College London, established to bring new focus to interdisciplinary AI research. The goal is to bring together AI experts from across the College to tackle major research challenges in areas such as health, sustainability, and security, and to create new opportunities for deeper collaboration with companies and entrepreneurs.

This interdisciplinary approach enables us to create real-world solutions, for example, by bringing together computer scientists, product designers and medical doctors to work on new technology to support people with dementia to live independently, or by partnering with colleagues in the commercial sector to redesign data centre computing – which underpins AI – to improve security.  

Established with an initial investment of £29 million from Imperial, I–X is located at the College’s innovation campus in White City, where it is connected to a vibrant innovation ecosystem with many businesses and research facilities.

"I-X brings together Imperial’s strengths in data, AI, computing and maths to drive the smart society of the future. We will embed our research, education, and innovation mission in a multidisciplinary, entrepreneurial environment that engages external partners to help deliver new ideas, new technologies and deeper impact more effectively and rapidly." - Professor Ian Walmsley, Provost of Imperial College London

 

A shot of the interior of a room with a kitchen, dining table and bed. It is fitted out with cameras and sensors

I-X researchers are working on Minder, a remote care platform for individuals with dementia or other age-related conditions, which uses home sensors and artificial intelligence to flag any behavioural changes that could be a cause for concern.

The milky way in the night sky

A cross-disciplinary I-X team is planning to provide the first direct mapping of space debris, which poses a major challenge for satellite operators. Using a small satellite equipped with ultra-sensitive sensors, they will use machine learning to develop 3D mapping from the data.

A portrait of Hannah Kay, one of the DeepMind scholars, smiling in the sunshine against a blurred background

Philanthropy is helping to realise our vision for diversity in AI. Hannah Kay’s DeepMind Scholarship allowed her to move into AI from a background in psychology, where she gained coding skills and worked on new methods for measuring trust amongst users of AI tools.

Philanthropic priorities

Philanthropy will place a crucial role in realising our vision for I–X. While public money tends to be awarded for discipline-specific research and industry funding focuses on work with clear commercial potential, philanthropic support offers the freedom to pursue our vision for I–X without compromise.

I-X campaign priorities row 1

Academic leadership

By investing in new talent, we will propel essential research from machine learning for software security to climate modelling or AI ethics and safety.

Supporting the next generation

We are building a diverse pipeline of talent in AI and related fields, lifting financial barriers and equipping graduates with the skills needed to work with, and on, next-generation technologies.

I-X campaign priorities row 2

New facilities for cross-disciplinary working

We are equipping our workspace at the Translation and Innovation Hub with specialist research facilities designed to facilitate collaborative work, including a digital living lab and a suite for human–robotics research.

Blue-sky research

Many of the most exciting advances in science come from ‘blue sky’ research – work that has great potential but is too early stage to have immediate commercial application. We are creating the I-X Discoveries Fund to offer seed funding to research teams working on approaches that have potential for major impact.

Join us

There are many areas where philanthropic support can have transformational impact on I–X and our research and teaching mission, and we look forward to speaking with potential supporters about how our priorities may align.

For full details of the campaign, please download our I-X brochure. To learn more about making a gift to I–X, please get in touch.

Hugh Langford
Head of Development, Faculty of Engineering

hugh.langford@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0)77 6357 5794