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BRIEF: Rensselaer County, N.Y., Moves Forward with AI Hub Plans

The county legislature transferred the ownership of a building to an economic development entity, a major step in plans for a $2 million artificial intelligence center backed by IBM, Microsoft and others.

(TNS) — Plans for a new $2 million artificial intelligence technology center are moving forward in downtown Troy, New York.

Rensselaer County has been taking a look at turning the Troy senior center at 19 Third St. into what will be known as the AI Center of Excellence. On Tuesday night, the county legislature voted to transfer the building into the hands of the Rensselaer County Capital Resource Corp., an economic development entity.

"With @RensCoLeg unanimous support tonight, @RenscoExecutive is now poised to make available property proposed for AI Center of Excellence," C.J. Kempf, chief counsel to Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin tweeted Tuesday.

The company behind the creation of the center is deFacto Global, a software company in Troy. Other partners are expected to be IBM, Microsoft, Columbia University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The project is in line for a $381,000 state grant and $300,000 from the county.

©2018 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.