Our Initiatives
The ETH AI Center drives forward interdisciplinary initiatives that push the boundaries of artificial intelligence. By combining world-class research with collaboration and outreach, we create knowledge, tools, and connections that enable AI for the common good.
RESEARCH
Swiss AI Initiative
The Swiss AI Initiative was started in December 2023. The initiative is the largest open science/open source effort for AI foundation models worldwide, and the first initiative of the Swiss National AI Institute, a partnership between the ETH AI Center and the EPFL AI Center.
Apertus
Switzerland’s first large-scale open, multilingual language model — a milestone in generative AI for transparency and diversity. Trained on 15 trillion tokens across more than 1,000 languages – 40% of the data is non-English – Apertus includes many languages that have so far been underrepresented in LLMs, such as Swiss German, Romansh, and many others.
Swiss National AI Institute
Swiss National AI Institute (SNAI) has been launched by ETH Zurich and EPFL to position Switzerland at the forefront of AI. ETH Zürich SNAI will steer national-level research, education and innovation in trustworthy and open AI — including developing Switzerland’s first national foundation model for language and other domains, underpinned by a super-computer infrastructure of over 10,000 next-gen AI GPUs.
OUTREACH
AI House Davos
AI House was established in 2023 by the ETH AI Center and Merantix in Davos, Switzerland as an independent, non-commercial initiative uniting leading researchers, executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to address and act on the most pressing questions in AI. Its continuation is led by the AI House Association, in collaboration with the Swiss National AI Institute (SNAI). SNAI is a partnership by ETH Zurich and EPFL to push AI on a national level.
AI+X Summit
The largest AI ecosystem event in Switzerland, focusing on the broad range from foundational research to applications & innovations. Our mission is to foster exchange, collaboration, and technology transfer between academia and industry, driving advancements in the fields of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
Zurich AI Festival
Zurich AI Festival is a flagship initiative by the ETH AI Center and Greater Zurich Area Ltd., co-created with the Canton of Zurich, Zurich Tourism, and leading partners from academia, industry, government, and the local AI ecosystem.
EDUCATION
AI for Teenagers
The Swiss AI Challenge invites teens with curious minds to explore the creative potential of AI and machine learning through self-driven projects. Over 3–4 months, individuals or teams of up to four develop their own AI ideas — supported by ETH AI Center Fellows who provide regular guidance along the way.