November 16th and 17th 2022, we celebrate the 5th anniversary of the AI on a Social Mission Conference. Each year, we highlight advances in AI and its governance, and identify critical issues that must be addressed. The event is held online. The focus of the program is twofold: understanding the implications of AI regulations in a global context & advancing gender equality and climate action in digital economies.
November 16th
8:45 a.m. EST, Opening Ceremony with Amelia Tekwatonti McGregor, Kanien'keha:ka, Elder.
Al on a Social Mission is an Al Impact Alliance initiative located on unceded Indigenous lands. The Kanien'kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters on which we will gather. Tiohtià:ke/Montréal is known as a gathering place for many First Nations and has become the home to a diverse population of Indigenous and other peoples.
9:00 a.m. EST
The Gender Equality in Digital Economies and the Environment Work Group. The surge of digitisation and AI development of the last decade has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. In parallel, the global community has felt the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, from increases in extreme flooding and heat waves to threats to land and marine species survival. While environmental changes have important socioeconomic effects on women, so does AI. This workshop will therefore explore gender perspectives on the use of AI systems in natural resource and climate management. We invite submissions that are particularly focused on intersectional and applied approaches, strategies and policies that accelerate the achievement of SDG 5, that research gender equality and its intersection with AI systems and natural resource management sectors (maritime, forestry, mining, etc.) and environmental security (climate change, food security). This Round Table aims to be a kick-off for a Working Group that will produce guidelines for the inclusion of a gender-sensitive module in national and international AI policy globally with regards to digital economy and climate security. The founding chairs believe in the importance of funding a permanent secretariat allowing the Work Group to meet on a regular basis and creating an online space for shared resources.
This Roundtable will be co-chaired by Valentine Goddard, AI Impact Alliance, and Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, United Nations University Institute in Macau. It takes place within the context of the 5th anniversary of the AI on a Social Mission Conference. We are grateful to our community partners Fiana Arbab who is acting in her personal capacity, and Ali Dunn, founder and executive director of the Data Feminist Network.Opening remarks will be given by Co-Chairs Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, senior researcher, UN University in Macau, and Valentine Goddard, founder and executive director of AI Impact Alliance, followed by our community partners Fiana Arbab, advocay and gender coordinator, International Financial Institutions, and Ali Dunn, founder and executive director of Data Feminism Network. Based on the number of submissions received, we will confirm the detailed schedule and list of experts after October 25th. Ends at 13 p.m. EST. *Program details are on our website in "Program-Day 1".
13 p.m. to 14 p.m. EST - Lunch Break
14:00 EST
Chasing Carbon: measuring the carbon emissions of AI, Dr. Sasha Luccioni, Hugging Face, Member of the Working Group on Al Ethics & the SDGs in Canada.
14:30 EST
Understanding the International Relations Implications of Climate Security, Professor Bruno Charbonneau, Royal Military College of St-Jean.
15:00 EST
Role of Civil Society Organizations, Literacy and Digital Strategy, Mélanie Valcin, CEO and President, United for Literacy (until recently known as New Frontiers College), Ambassadrice du Groupe des Trente, 2022 CBC Black Changemaker.
15:30 EST - End of Day 1.
November 17th
9 a.m. EST
Navigating International Emerging AI Regulations, Policies and Digital Economy Partnerships. Mitigating the risks AI systems pose to human life, safety, and democracy is a shared concern for governments, industry and civil society stakeholders. Striking the right balance between comprehensive AI regulations and laissez faire is what Canada and the EU’s proposed AI regulations are attempting to do. Meanwhile, economic and political partners are advancing AI and data governance policies that favour continued collaborations. This panel will help participants chart the proposed AI regulations and the global context in which they are set. International experts will convene for this roundtable to discuss how emerging regulatory models and Digital Economy Partnerships can be implemented in order to facilitate a global approach to responsible AI and data innovation.
Science and technology diplomacy has a turbulent history of being used to advance national interests and consolidate ideological, cultural, economic, and political (if not military) alliances. A process that is being consolidated once more by existing geopolitical tensions. The recent COVID-19 pandemic and global warming have served as stark reminders that some major global challenges transcend artificial national boundaries and present common social, scientific, and technological challenges. The weight and momentum issues such as sustainability and global warming have gained collectively, and how they intersect with the fourth industrial revolution's possibilities and risks, and the looming AI era, make diplomatic attempts and global economic alliances ever more important. Join us to explore the current global state of affairs, and discuss how organizations and national governments plan to face the common challenges posed by AI systems and applications.
Co-moderated by Peter Furlong, Senior Policy Analyst, Internet Policy Unit, Tony Blair Institute and the founding chair of AI on a Social Mission, Valentine Goddard. Guest experts: Surdas Mohit, A/ Director of Artificial Intelligence and Data Policy, Innovation, Science, and Economic Development; Francesco Lapenta, Director, Institute of Future and Innovation Studies, John Cabot University, Rome; Mercy Atieno Odongo, First Counselor at Consulate General of the Republic of Kenya; Matheace Ramaputra, Indonesia's AI Policy, Korika AI Strategy; Romina Garrido, associate researcher of GobLab, Chile, and Hiroyuki Sanbe, attorney-at-law (Japan and New York Bar) and Guest Professor at Osaka University, Japan.
11:45 p.m. EST - Lunch Break
13:20 p.m. EST
Facing Health and Climate Crisis with Concerted Efforts and Mission-Oriented AI. Keynote Speaker, Professor Yoshua Bengio, Scientific Director, Mila, Quebec AI Research Institute. Professor Bengio's presentation will address the need for international coordination on government policies regarding AI; the need for governments to invest in technological innovation for socially important missions (e.g. health, environment, education, social justice) for which there is little or no private investment; and examples of research needed to address the current pandemic and future pandemics, particularly the antibioresistance crisis, and also in the area of climate change. 40 min + 20 min for questions.
14:25 p.m. EST
A Roadmap to Responsible AI: Adapting legal practice and risk management to the new AI laws. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into all spheres of life and work, including the legal profession. In June 2022, the Government of Canada introduced a proposed AI and Data Act (AIDA) in conjunction with its reform of the private sector privacy framework. Its eventual adoption will mean a first in the regulation of the use of AI systems in Canada. The purpose of the AI Act is to regulate international and interprovincial trade of AI Systems by establishing common requirements for the design, development and use of these systems across Canada, prevent biased outcomes, as well as to prohibit certain conducts that may cause serious harm to individuals or their interests. In this context, how should legal and management professionals envision the future of their practice, adapt it to emerging AI laws and manage the inherent risks? Focused on recent developments in AI governance (Bill C-27, EU AI Act, etc.), the proposed workshop offers participants the opportunity to:
- Understand the issues and impacts of AI and Data Act, Bill C-27, on the practice of law;
- Identify frameworks, methods and approaches that can guide lawyers and in-house counsel in the face of emerging AI legislation;
- Prepare companies to manage legal, operational and business risks in light of AIDA.
These discussions are particularly useful for entrepreneurs, managers, and AI investors to strategically plan important business decisions, as well as for the lawyers who advise them. A presentation and discussion with Dominique Payette, Responsible AI Strategy, Borealis AI (RBC). 20 minute presentation + 10min discussion.
15:00 p.m. EST
What Would a Canadian Children's AI Bill of Rights Look Like? A constructive discussion on how to best protect our children and teens from online harm, augmented marketing and psychological manipulation, geotracking and other forms of data collection and so on. In Canada, a number of Bills are currently being debated (Online Harm, National Security, AI and Data Act, etc.), and we ask our speakers will it be enough to effectively protect children’s wellbeing? What more should be done in terms of design and regulation? Are children's rights equitably protected across provinces and territories? What should Impact Assessment Models for the use of AI systems on young and vulnerable populations include? Key experts lead the discussion with lots of room for interactive participation including Eleonore Fournier Tombs, Senior Researcher at the United Nations University in Macau, Terence Hamilton, Policy Specialist at Unicef Canada and Director at the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of the Child, and Valerie Steeves, Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa. Her main area of research focuses on the impact of new technologies on human rights. 50min + 10min discussion.
16:05 p.m. EST
Game time! A Serious Game about Responsible AI. The You&AI on Board game is a serious game that positions issues of trust, power, and concepts of political economy and geopolitics on the same board. It raises awareness on the social, political and economic implications of AI, and strengthens democratic and collaborative policy design environments for digital economies and democracies. Meet some of the members of the co-design team and learn about a serious game designed to bridge capacity building and civic engagement with policy innovation. A discussion useful for those who are designing tools that help citizens, policy makers, NGOs and industry envision mission-oriented alliances in a digital society, and facilitate an equitable value-driven co-design of shared futures. With Machine Learning, AI Ethics, Game Design Experts: Katrina Ingram, Mathili Mavinkurve, Sara Baptiste-Brown, Robert Bolton and Valentine Goddard. 40 minutes.
16:45 p.m. EST Closing Ceremony with Amelia Tekwatonti
Over the past 5 years, AI on a Social Mission has brought together hundreds of volunteers, reached over a hundred thousands viewers, engaging a record number of participants underrepresented in AI as well as international audiences from all continents. We're proud to see how this Montreal grassroot meet up became a globally recognized conference and a vibrant community writing the story of purpose-oriented AI systems and sustainable digital societies. We look forward to seeing you online November 16th and 17th.
