»There has been a breakthrough in artificial intelligence in the last ten years. This technology is progressing rapidly with applications in many fields, so there is a need, both globally and locally in our country, for suchgraduate programs that demonstrate how artificial intelligence  can benefit society.  This exceptional doctoralprogramme in Applied Artificial Intelligence at Alma Mater is an opportunity for graduates to contribute fundamentally to the development of artificial intelligence,« emphasised the president of Alma Mater Europaea,  Professor Ludvik Toplak. He added that there is an interdisciplinary aspect in processing content and adopting techniques from computer science, medicine, law, humanities, technology and applied sciences, thus offering an interweaving of significantly different fields.  »Our students will gain the necessary technical and professional background that will enable them to successfully apply artificial intelligence in private and public organisations.  This new doctoral programme offers opportunities to gain the up-to-date skills required by today's labour market through its innovative study methods,« continued Alma Mater President Toplak.

»Artificial intelligence is now a part of everyday life. It is present when your face is recognised when you turn on your phone, when you get a social media suggestion, when you are shopping online, and when you are checking how long it will take you to drive from Maribor to Vienna. Moreover, it is the driving force behind popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even Netflix. But it is also useful in healthcare and medicine,  in discovering the secrets of the universe, and in tackling various other challenges of the modern world,« noted the head of IT programmes at  Alma Mater,  Professor Matej Mertik, who added that the new doctoral programme in Applied Artificial Intelligence was precisely tailored to address the many needs and challenges of using this technology to benefit society in various fields. Such applications require modernscientific methods and the use of powerful high-performance computing equipment. »In Slovenia, those responsible for technological and social development recognise these needs and the exceptional opportunities for developing this field in our country. The potential and synergies of the new supercomputer centre in Mariborcombined with this new programme in Slovenia are especially welcome,« explained Mertik, who continued that those responsible for technological and social development will undoubtedly harness the power of applied artificial intelligence to fulfil the potential that Slovenia has to offer.  

»Artificial intelligence and the AAI programme can provide innovative solutions for many problems in society in Slovenia,  through combining the wider regional, national and European potential,« stated Toplak, who concluded that by investing in and supporting the development of applied artificial intelligence, Slovenia can gain significant benefits. The opportunities offered by connecting local and regional development will boost the technological, social, economic and cultural growth of Slovenia.  

An introductory lecture on the new doctoral program in Applied Artificial Intelligence will be held at the end of January in cooperation with the Koper Scientific Research  Centre by guest scientist  Professor Noreen Herzfeld, a distinguished professor of computer science and theology at Saint John's University in Minnesota, USA, who is engaged in research on artificial intelligence and ethics. 

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