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Artificial intelligence is coming: Microsoft and Louisville announce partnership

Ben Tobin
Courier Journal

Louisville is partnering with Microsoft to explore the future of artificial intelligence, Mayor Greg Fischer announced Friday.

According to a recent report from the Brookings Institution, Louisville ranks eighth among metropolitan areas in risk of losing jobs to automation. The report states that 28.6% of Louisville's jobs are at "high risk" of being automated.

A central purpose in this partnership is to make sure Louisville is well-equipped for the technological revolution, according to Grace Simrall, chief of Civic Innovation and Technology for Louisville Metro Government.

"Experts know that automation and AI are coming," Simrall said. "They know that they will probably destroy tasks and potentially even jobs faster than we can replace them if we don't do something about it."

Fischer said this partnership "has the potential to be a real game-changer" as the city works with Microsoft to figure out what the future of work looks like.

"Technology is so interwoven into who we are and what we are today," he said. "The trick with AI is how do we harness its potential to improve our lives and position our workforce to be prepared for an AI world."

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Jennifer Byrne, chief technology officer of Microsoft US, said there will be more changes to society in the next 10 years than in the past 250 years.

"Technology is relevant now in a way that it has never been before," Byrne said. "Technology is now in a place where it can actually solve the hardest human problems."

Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, chief of Louisville Forward, the city’s economic development agency, said she believes this is a "first-of-its-kind partnership" between a city and a major Fortune 50 technology company. Along with exploring artificial intelligence, Louisville will also focus on the Internet of Things and data sciences with Microsoft.

According to Wiederwohl, Microsoft came to the Brookings Institution with the idea of establishing a regional hub for artificial intelligence technology, specifically focusing on manufacturing and health care. Brookings, which worked with Louisville on the Metropolitan Policy Program, recommended the Derby City.

"The strength we have in our economy in (manufacturing and health care) really appealed to Microsoft," Wiederwohl said. "And what we will be creating here in this regional hub will become a resource for the companies we have in those two spaces, at least."

Previously:Futurist to GLI: Millions of new industries will spin from technology

This partnership marks the latest step in Louisville pushing forward with technological innovation. On Monday, Fischer announced LouTechWorks, an initiative to increase the number of technology jobs in the area through partnering with local education institutions.

Louisville has some history with Microsoft. Most notably, in 2017, Microsoft raised concerns over the city's potentially improper use of Microsoft software. The Courier Journal has not yet obtained the findings of this audit.

Louisville government intends to establish a physical location for Microsoft in the city's Innovation District or downtown, though that plan has not yet been announced. 

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Contact Ben Tobin at bjtobin@gannett.com and 502-582-4181 or follow on Twitter @TobinBen. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: subscribe.courier-journal.com.