Online retail giant Amazon.com Inc. announced today that it will invest nearly $1.5 million in Cyber Valley, a collaborative artificial intelligence research program initiated by the Max Planck Society in Germany.

Amazon will also be opening its own AI research lab adjacent to the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen.

Amazon’s investment will allow the program to offer significantly more money in grants for doctoral and postdoctoral students working on AI and machine learning research. The Max Planck Institute said the new financing will allow it to continue pursuing its goal of training new AI researchers to accelerate innovation in the industry.

“With Amazon joining the Cyber Valley, our idea to create a fruitful environment for business activities will gain momentum by expanding AI research in the Stuttgart and Tübingen area,” said Max Planck President Martin Stratmann. “Only by bringing together world-class research and entrepreneurial spirit can we create the breeding ground for innovations that may prove to be technological breakthroughs in the future.”

Ralf Herbrich, director of machine learning at Amazon and managing director of the Amazon Development Center Germany, added that with the new research center, Amazon will become part of one of the largest AI research initiatives in Europe. “This underlines our commitment to create high-skilled jobs in breakthrough technologies,” he said.

Like many other major tech companies, AI is becoming an increasingly important part of Amazon’s business. The company’s most visible use of AI is in its suite of Alexa devices, including Amazon Echo and Echo Dot. Amazon also uses AI in its experimental drone programs and in its Amazon Go stores, which will use machine learning to allow customers to pick up and buy items without having to go through a checkout line.

Behind the scenes, Amazon also uses artificial intelligence for its cloud services, and a number of Amazon Web Services customers use Amazon’s cloud to power their own machine learning projects. Amazon offers prepackaged versions of deep learning frameworks on its platform, and it also allows customers to use some of Amazon’s own high level services, including natural language processing and computer vision, which can be accessed through an application programming interface. In April, Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos told investors earlier this year to “watch this space. Much more to come.”

Amazon is not the first tech firm to invest in the Max Planck Institute’s AI program. Other investors include Facebook, as well as BMW, Porsche and other companies.

Photo: Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems