Company donates $1 million for machine-driven research

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A Chicago software company is donating $1 million to an artificial intelligence initiative at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

University officials announced Tuesday that Uptake's investment in CMU AI will create a new fund called Machine Learning for Social Good. The fund will enable students and faculty to use machines and data science to solve problems while working with nonprofits and government agencies.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (http://bit.ly/2wnMXhB ) reports that Professor Roni Rosenfeld will lead the program. Rosenfeld said in a statement that machine learning and data science has already improved education, public health and international aid.

Uptake last year set up a philanthropic branch called "beyond.uptake" that has assisted in social issues such as pairing students with colleges and trying to curb poaching in Africa.