Any technology that evolves as rapidly and unpredictably as artificial intelligence is bound to raise questions about its reliability. As AI drives rapid transformation in all aspects of business and society, many leaders are uncertain about its impact and what it can and will do for us. , he seems to be feeling a mixture of awe and anxiety.
But while some leaders feel anxious, others feel optimistic. With the right guardrails in place, AI can be a powerful tool to support human efforts on a variety of urgent challenges, including agriculture, urban planning, combating human trafficking, and eradicating communication bias.
Each of these AI use cases to advance human interest comes from the Mira-Québec Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Montreal. This innovative research institute sees AI as a means to advance social good, build prosperity, and serve humans as a species. Ethical AI.
“In its simplest form, ethical AI is a set of choices: agreed-upon core principles that lead to building trustworthy systems,” said Valerie Pisano, CEO of Mila. “This is a system for incorporating ethical principles into technology design. These choices can be highly contextual and local, but ethical AI comes down to human rights.”
The issue of trust in AI is rooted in three risks, Pisano says. Dysfunction, including loss of control and unintended consequences. and unexpected systemic shocks from economic and social disruption. “People need to think about ethics and safety and the big role that government can play,” Pisano said.
Ethical AI in Canada
Canada’s uniquely progressive and inclusive values, commitment to sustainability and socio-cultural diversity means Mira is working closely with the Government of Canada to develop guidance and guardrails for ethical AI. It means that.
Since its launch in 2017, the government’s Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy combines world-class talent pools and research capabilities with the AI Forward Program to make Canada an early adopter and practitioner, deploying AI across the economy and society. I’ve been doing it.
Along with two other national artificial intelligence laboratories, the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) in Edmonton and the Vector Artificial Intelligence Institute in Toronto, Mira is currently driving this AI adoption and is extending its research to: Translated into humanities applications and projects.
• Biasly, a natural language processing tool for identifying conscious or unconscious gender bias in written text.
• Data-Driven Insights for Sustainable Agriculture is an AI tool that uses satellite imagery to enable regenerative agriculture that sequesters carbon and reduces soil erosion and water pollution.
• First Languages AI Reality (FLAIR), an initiative that supports the revitalization of Indigenous languages through the use of AI. and
• An infrared data-driven process developed in collaboration with lawyers, criminologists, and survivors to identify signs of human trafficking.
Mila’s founder and scientific director, Yoshua Bengio, is a longtime pioneer in deep learning and ethical AI, a professor at the University of Montreal, and a recipient of the prestigious AM Turing Award, among others. In 2024, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Bengio to the UN Scientific Advisory Board, and Bengio chaired the International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people of 2024.
Montreal was in a unique position for Bengio to establish Mila and the principles of ethical AI, given that it is a city with a blend of multicultural experiences. Abundant research institutions, ingenuity, and talent. and its strong government support.
“The city is a rich environment for curiosity, discovery, and innovative research programs, with an incredible pipeline of talent coming together through our various universities,” Pisano said.
“Historically, Montreal is a place where people come together,” she says. “Multiculturalism has emerged very naturally, and it continues to be one of the very distinctive and attractive things about Canadian AI. ”
Equally important to Mila’s visionary approach to technology is its workforce of 150 full-time employees and 1,500 researchers, who collaborate with more than 140 private companies in Canada and abroad. brings a rich and diverse range of perspectives and experiences.
conferences in canada
Montreal and other digital hotspots in Canada are home to visionary organizational leaders who can forge bonds for collaboration and innovation in sectors as diverse as manufacturing, life sciences, finance and insurance, agribusiness, and natural resources. It is an attractive place for people to gather for business events.
Technology and AI are driving change in all of these areas and many others, and are the focus of annual events such as All In, World Summit AI Americas, InCyber Forum, C2 Montreal (all held in Montreal) and Elevate Festival. It is the focus. Held at Web Summit, Toronto, NeurlPS, and Vancouver. Pisano’s own career, which worked as a consultant at McKinsey and chief talent officer at Cirque du Soleil before coming to Mira, is a classic Montreal story: opportunities she wouldn’t have found elsewhere. It tells the story of the path to
“Canada and Montreal have a unique role as global hubs for scientific advancement,” Pisano said. “Montreal may be a small, big city, but we have a tightly knit ecosystem of creative entrepreneurship and deep human-centered values that extends to every region of the world.”
Explore new frontiers with breakthrough ideas. Learn how to host your next business event in Canada, where new ideas are born.
