San Jose mayor doubles down on AI tech push, eyes SJSU innovation lab

SAN JOSE — San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan doubled down on his fledgling initiative to spur the expansion of synthetic intelligence hubs within the Bay Space’s largest metropolis by revealing this week contemporary plans for cutting-edge AI endeavors.

Mayor Mahan gave a keynote handle on the new Adobe Methods Founders Tower in downtown San Jose to kick off what was billed because the 2023 San Jose World Innovation Summit.

Whereas a number of American cities are scrambling to model themselves because the “capital of AI,” Mahan is betting that San Jose truly can seize an enormous chunk of this cutting-edge tech pie.

“We would like San Jose to actually be a capital in AI innovation,” Mahan stated throughout a speech on the innovation summit on Thursday.

On Oct. 10, Mahan and Councilmember David Cohen launched a memo that the 2 political leaders hope will sketch out a recreation plan for San Jose to draw synthetic intelligence hubs to their metropolis.

The plans embrace reductions on utility prices in addition to a speedy allowing course of for AI companies, incubators and initiatives.

“We’re having discussions to carry incubators and accelerators into our downtown to benefit from the truth that we’ve got 36,000 college students at San Jose State and the technical expertise there,” Mahan stated.

The mayor additionally introduced that San Jose State College could also be poised to play a key function in elevating town’s profile for synthetic intelligence and tech general.

“One factor we’re speaking to San Jose State about is to really construct an innovation lab on campus,” Mahan stated. “This is able to allow college students to start to experiment, and prototype and take a look at in a protected and cost-effective means, new ideas for firms whereas they’re nonetheless college students.”

Gary Dillabough, a tech entrepreneur and actual property govt, can also be pursuing efforts to assist a man-made intelligence incubator sprout in downtown San Jose.

“We’re speaking with a possible associate to carry 40 or 50 AI startups to downtown San Jose,” Dillabough stated throughout a dialogue in September about how one can spur financial exercise within the metropolis’s city coronary heart.

These fledgling efforts may strengthen town’s city core. Dillabough stated in an interview on Thursday with this information group that he’s inspired by the mayor’s efforts.

“Our hope is to create a rare AI Heart of Excellence,” Dillabough stated. “I don’t assume there’s a higher place within the U.S. to make this occur.”

Dillabough stated it is sensible to have metropolis leaders, enterprise officers and tech executives working in numerous methods to carry tech and AI incubators into downtown San Jose.

“When the non-public sector begins to get into lockstep with the general public sector, it may possibly unleash some very highly effective alternatives,” Dillabough stated.

The mayor can also be pondering some sensible functions for AI that can be utilized in San Jose. Superior applied sciences may assist town fight potholes and water leaks, as an example.

He famous throughout his keynote presentation that some tech firms need to work with town so as to add cameras to metropolis automobiles. Tech methods and synthetic intelligence may seize knowledge from the cameras about the place potholes and water leaks are occurring.

“We need to be taking a look at what’s subsequent,” Mahan stated. “What’s going to be disruptive? What’s going to carry change? For this reason we’re taking a look at incentives and the partnership with our metropolis college. We need to be the place the place it occurs.”