TL;DR

Swiss investment bank UBS and Oxford University have launched the Oxford-UBS Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence. The research centre will be led by a newly endowed UBS professor with 20 researchers, focusing on AI governance, financial services applications, and AI model development.

Academic-Industry Partnership

UBS has partnered with Oxford University to establish a dedicated AI research centre, signalling the growing importance of academic collaboration in advancing enterprise AI capabilities. The Oxford-UBS Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence aims to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical business applications.

The centre involves Oxford Saïd Business School alongside the university’s mathematical, physical and life sciences divisions, creating a multidisciplinary approach to AI research. It will facilitate independent research projects whilst also enabling joint initiatives between academic researchers and UBS practitioners.

Three Research Pillars

The centre’s work will concentrate on three strategic areas: AI and society, including governance and the future of work; AI for business and economy, with particular focus on financial services applications; and AI futures, examining the development of AI models and their practical applications.

“AI represents a fundamental opportunity to change how we operate and create value for clients,” said Mike Dargan, UBS group chief operations and technology officer. The partnership aims to “accelerate our journey to become a fully AI-enabled institution and shape the future of financial services.”

Looking Forward

The announcement follows UBS’s recent appointment of JP Morgan’s Daniele Magazzeni as its first chief AI officer. For UK financial services firms, this partnership demonstrates the value of academic collaboration in developing responsible AI capabilities—particularly in the areas of governance and workforce transformation that remain critical concerns for the sector.

Source: Finextra