Gary Bogdani, the North American head of data at the global consumer products giant, declined to disclose the amount the company spent on the lab or the number of people it will employ in an email to The Logic. Bogdani said the investment was “significant” and the lab will have 15 focus areas that each require a team of people. (The Logic)

Talking point: Unilever, which makes products under well-known brands including Ben & Jerry’s, Dove and Hellmann’s, said in a release that the lab will help accelerate the use of AI at the company, which plans to integrate the ideas into its global suite of products. The company chose Toronto because of its “concentration of AI expertise,” according to the release. The AI hub, to be called Horizon3 Labs, will initially focus on forecasting, data modelling and generating insight from trends. Unilever already has more than 400 applications of AI across its various business areas, including 50,000 AI-enabled ice cream freezers, the company said.