The Toronto team is led by Dr. Sven Dickinson, who formerly chaired the University of Toronto's Computer Science department and has expertise in object recognition.

Samsung doesn't mince words about why it's setting up shop in Toronto instead of another North American city: it's all about the talent. Toronto is a hotbed for AI with companies like Google in the area, not to mention nearby universities (including those with existing links to Samsung). This also helps Samsung work with startups in the area.

Canada is dangling a carrot in front of companies like Samsung: its federal budget devoted $125 million to supporting a national AI strategy. However, it's growing to the point where companies like Samsung are virtually expected to launch AI labs in the region if they expect to stay competitive. Any subsidies and other deals are frequently icing on the cake.