Yes, you can do research in AI with low funds (but you need a lot of time!). Notably because AI is not the same as applied [machine learning][1] (indeed running ML programs on big data requires a lot of computer power). For example, [knowledge representation and reasoning][2] or [natural language processing][3] generally don't require a lot of computer power.

A lot of recent papers (probably most of them) in journals like  [*Artificial Intelligence*][4], or in conferences like [IJCAI][5] (see their [past proceedings][6]) are somehow theoretical, and when something is implemented, it runs on a laptop or desktop.

<sup>Actually it is difficult and rare to find a research paper in AI mentioning that costly equipment was needed to do the research. Costly supercomputers used for research are generally not used by AI researchers (but by researchers in physics or bioinformatics), and AI researchers often don't even have access to such facilities.</sup>

For examples, recent IJCAI2016 papers such as [*Coco: Runtime Reasoning About Conflicting Commitments*][7], [*Interdependent Scheduling Games*][8], [*Control of Fair Division*][9], [*Verifying Pushdown Multi-Agent Systems against Strategy Logics*][10], etc.... don't mention any costly computation.
Actually, it is likely that most recent papers don't use and don't need large scale costly cloud computing.


However, you'll better publish your software as free software or open source, and **you need a *lot* of time** (preferably full-time, or at least half-time) to do the research and follow outside progress in your area.

You can find interesting blogs (e.g. [the one of J.Pitrat][11]) of AI researchers working on just a laptop or a desktop.


  [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learning
  [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_representation_and_reasoning
  [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_language_processing
  [4]: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/artificial-intelligence/
  [5]: http://www.ijcai.org/
  [6]: https://www.ijcai.org/past_proceedings/
  [7]: http://Coco:%20Runtime%20Reasoning%20About%20Conflicting%20Commitments
  [8]: https://www.ijcai.org/Proceedings/16/Papers/008.pdf
  [9]: https://www.ijcai.org/Proceedings/16/Papers/017.pdf
  [10]: https://www.ijcai.org/Proceedings/16/Papers/033.pdf
  [11]: http://bootstrappingartificialintelligence.fr/WordPress3/