Columbia University has started its Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business Analytics and FinTech. According to the announcement, the intent is to find new ways to apply advanced data science and artificial intelligence, including machine learning and deep learning, to real estate and finance.

The group is part of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and is "led by some of the top financial technologists in the world with experience at major Wall St. firms and hedge funds."

"The software we develop is done collaboratively with our partners with the intent of integrating these solutions into their day-to-day workflow," a release quoted Josh Panknin, Director of Real Estate AI Research and Innovation at the Center, as saying.  "Our collaborations involve developing more holistic platforms that provide deep insight into market behavior and investment decisions using cutting edge analytics models.  We don't do things that have already been done.  We focus on providing new capabilities to our partners."