LG joins growing list of tech firms entering Toronto’s AI scene

An LG Electronics Inc. G7 ThinQ smartphone stands on display during a launch event in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday, May 3, 2018. The smartphone is one of the first devices to get the upcoming Google Lens feature, a new way to search using the latest in AI and computer vision, according to a company press release. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg

LG Electronics Inc, which has been integrating artificial-intelligence functions into its home appliances and smartphones, is launching its first Canadian AI lab, the latest company seeking talent in the country’s burgeoning tech industry. 

The Seoul-based company, part of the LG Corp conglomerate, plans to open a research lab this fall in central Toronto, chief technology officer I.P. Park said in a phone interview. The venture will employ “several dozen” people and includes a five-year, multimillion-dollar partnership with the University of Toronto. Park declined to be more precise about how much LG is investing.