The new issue of 360upf, the journal of Pompeu Fabra University, number 9 - October 2021, "Firmly committed to artificial intelligence (AI)" has been published.

The section Calidoscopi, with which we have collaborated, is dedicated to the topic Thinking AI and Digitalization starting from the Humanities.

PRESENTATION OF THE ISSUE

Although the goal of endowing machines with human-like intelligence has been around for more than half a century, it was not until the last decade that we have witnessed a real boom in applications, due to improvements in neural networks, advances in supercomputing, and the availability of big data.

In this context, Catalonia is one of the world’s best positioned regions, thanks to the confluence of technological advances and a robust and mature research and development system in terms of digital technologies. Testimony to this is Microsoft’s recent announcement that it will be creating a new centre in Barcelona dedicated to research and development in AI applications.

Although Pompeu Fabra University does not have specific lines of research in AI, it stands out in several fields of knowledge in which it is commonly used as a tool. In fact, according to a report by the Catalan Directorate General for Economic Promotion, Competition and Regulation, UPF ranks third amongst Catalan organizations that engage in research and innovation in AI, trailing only the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and tied with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS).