HANGZHOU, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- An alliance between Chinese and French universities and institutions to promote artificial intelligence (AI) was established Tuesday.

Eight education institutions from China and France, including Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University and Sorbonne University, established the France China AI Consortium Tuesday in Beijing.

French mathematician and Fields medalist Cedric Villani said that the cooperation would be crucial to facing common challenges.

"Strengthening international cooperation in AI will not only promote interdisciplinary research, but also help build a platform for creative talent," said Wu Fei, director of the AI research institution of Zhejiang University.