The University of Oxford has partnered with Swiss investment bank UBS to launch a new center for applied AI.
The Oxford-UBS Center for Applied AI aims to deepen our understanding of AI and accelerate its practical application through 'cutting-edge' research.
This research will focus on AI and society, including aspects of AI governance, the future of work, and sustainability. AI for business and economics. Including the application of AI to drive innovation and transformation across the business and economic ecosystem. The future of AI, including exploring new AI paradigms, model development and its applications.
The center will be led by a newly endowed UBS Professor in Applied AI at Oxford Said University and supported by a team of 20 researchers.
UBS said the researchers will work closely with banking practitioners to apply their findings to real-world applications.
“AI represents a fundamental opportunity to change the way we operate and create value for our customers,” said Mike Dargan, Chief Operations and Technology Officer, UBS Group. “We are delighted that UBS is partnering with the University of Oxford to accelerate our journey to becoming a fully AI-enabled institution and shaping the future of financial services by driving pioneering AI research and developing practical tools and solutions that can be deployed at scale across the company.”
UBS currently manages $6.9 trillion in investment assets as of Q3 2025.
Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the company operates in 50 markets around the world.
Responding to the partnership, Professor Eileen Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: “It's great to be able to announce this exciting and important partnership, bringing together one of the world's leading universities and one of the world's leading financial services institutions. This dynamic multidisciplinary partnership will lead to pioneering new AI research solutions and practical applications at a time of unprecedented technological change.”
