CAI wins 4 projects in one day
With an acceptance rate of 13%, the fifth DIZH project call was very competitive; the CAI was successful with submissions on health, education, and security.
The fifth project call by the DIZH (Digitalization Initiative of Zurich Universities) once again attracted an extraordinary amount of interest: 90 applications were submitted – more than ever before. Due to the high quality of the projects, the DIZH committees decided to fund a total of 12 projects – more than originally planned.
It is particularly pleasing that four of the twelve approved projects will be carried out with the participation of the Center for Artificial Intelligence (CAI) at ZHAW. This underlines the CAI's strong position in interdisciplinary, application-oriented AI research.
AI for health, education, and safety
The funded projects cover a broad spectrum of socially relevant topics:
DiSpLA is developing the first app for automatic speech recognition and analysis for clinical use in Swiss German. It records speech changes in people with dementia and children with speech disorders, reducing the cost and time required for diagnoses and follow-up checks.
Chat4All is designing a digital learning assistant to promote educational equity. The system recognizes patterns in learning behavior and offers adaptive support to specifically accompany and strengthen learning processes.
SAGE develops computer-based voiceprints for the forensic analysis of extensive telecommunications data, particularly in the context of telephone fraud. Among other things, the system supports the Zurich Forensic Institute and the Zurich Public Prosecutor's Office in determining the number of speakers and speaker segmentation, and builds on previous research at the CAI on the use of temporal voice characteristics.
Fake or real? investigates whether brain signals can unconsciously distinguish between real and artificial voices. Neural measurement data is combined with AI methods to develop robust recognition systems – including for new generators and resource-poor languages such as Swiss German.
Strong projects with intensive collaboration in the DIZH innovation program
The funded projects are characterized by their innovative strength, social relevance, and clear practical relevance. They are implemented by interdisciplinary teams from all four DIZH universities and combine research and application in an exemplary manner.