TELUS Digital to invest $1 million over three years to drive cutting-edge research into AI-powered customer experience solutions, software and applications
TELUS Digital Experience, a leading global technology company delivering exceptional customer experiences, will expand its global reach in artificial intelligence (AI) research with the launch of the TELUS Digital Research Center at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil on March 18. With a $1 million investment over three years, the state-of-the-art facility will serve as a collaborative research space, attracting the world’s top AI researchers to advance AI-powered customer experiences.
The TELUS Digital Research Centre will be located within the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (CIAAM) at USP, an integration hub created in November 2023 to drive innovation and foster discussion about social, economic and technological impacts. TELUS Digital joins a notable group of global companies, including Motorola, IBM and Itaú, already based at the Centre and contributing to CIAAM’s AI research ecosystem.
“TELUS Digital’s partnership with USP to create the TELUS Digital Research Centre on campus marks an important milestone in our company’s ongoing commitment to advance AI research and development, integrate diverse perspectives to reduce bias and promote the responsible use of AI, and engage in the global conversation about the potential of AI,” said Renato Vicente, Director, TELUS Digital Research Centre. “Our company’s commitment to delivering exceptional AI-powered customer experiences and outcomes for the brands we serve globally will help guide our research agenda over the next three years, including advancing the capabilities of Fuel iX ™ , our proprietary generative AI engine, and our suite of solutions to personalize, secure and augment digital interactions.” We want to bring together academia and top customer experience specialists with the aim of leveraging the strengths of both groups to create concrete and innovative applications that will have measurable impacts.”
“USP is a leader in artificial intelligence research, contributing significantly to Brazil’s scientific advances in this field,” said Fabio Cozman, director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at USP. “The presence of TELUS Digital will boost research initiatives and create an atmosphere of innovation for students.”
A steering committee composed of academic and industry leaders has been created to define the priorities and research axes of the TELUS Digital Research Centre. It includes the following members:
- Professor Renato Vicente , Director, TELUS Digital Research Center
- Gagan Tandon (GT) , Senior Managing Director, AI & Data, Technology Solutions, TELUS Digital
- Bret Kinsella , Executive Director, Fuel iX ™ , Technology Solutions, TELUS Digital
- Professor Sergio Oliva , Director of the Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, USP
- Alexandre Guilbault , Director of AI, TELUS and Founder and Head of the TELUS AI Accelerator
- Sami Bin , Director of Latin America Business, Technology Solutions, TELUS Digital
A Scientific Committee and an International Scientific Advisory Committee will also be established in the coming months to provide technical expertise and ensure compliance with global research standards.
The launch of the TELUS Digital Research Centre will be celebrated at an event held at the new USP facility on March 18, 2025.
Investing in AI research talent and innovation
The TELUS Digital Research Centre is dedicated to training the next generation of AI researchers and innovating AI-powered customer experiences, while ensuring that AI advancements remain human-centric, ethically designed and driven by a shared purpose. In line with TELUS Digital’s Human- Involved Principles , the Research Centre will focus on AI advancements that are not only innovative, but also grounded in human insights and ethical governance. By fostering collaboration between academia and industry, the Centre will become a place where diverse perspectives foster responsible AI development that benefits all of society.
TELUS Digital’s $1 million investment will fund a variety of grants, scholarships, and collaborative research and teaching initiatives that will enable students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting researchers from around the world to contribute to cutting-edge AI research:
Undergraduate Research Grants: Each year, eight undergraduate students will be selected to participate in AI-focused research projects, under the guidance of faculty and industry experts. These students will receive a monthly stipend for their work, in addition to deepening their knowledge in areas such as advanced AI systems, AI security, and machine learning.
Postdoctoral Fellowships: The Research Centre will provide competitive funding to early-career researchers pursuing advanced studies in AI technologies. Postdoctoral fellows will have the opportunity to conduct independent research projects that are aligned with the Research Centre’s core areas of interest, collaborating with TELUS Digital experts and faculty.
Visiting Scholars Fund: To foster international collaboration, the Research Centre will fund leading AI scientists and researchers to visit USP and engage with the research community. These scholars will provide mentorship to undergraduate researchers and share a global perspective on AI governance, security and model development.
The TELUS Digital Research Centre in São Paulo joins TELUS Digital’s existing digitalization campuses in India (2024) and Guatemala (2022) (press releases in English only), which are driving the use of digital tools and the creation of technology-enabled customer experience solutions for large enterprises. TELUS Digital’s investment in Brazil also reinforces the company’s commitment to the country’s thriving AI ecosystem and builds on its strong presence in São Paulo and Porto Alegre, following the 2021 acquisition of WillowTree, which included Poatek, a software engineering and data science company.
Discover the latest trends and insights—explore the Business Insights Journal for up-to-date strategies and industry breakthroughs!
