Do AI tracking systems place us in a state of constant surveillance? Are social inequalities reproduced in AI algorithms? And who regulates how AI programs influence the information we have access to?
A new project led by Professor Céline Castets-Renard seeks to counter these challenges by uniting AI researchers and training tomorrow’s AI experts in the social and ethical risks of these technologies that are increasingly present in our personal and professional lives. The team has planned a series of activities to share and spread knowledge, funded by a Connection Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Network.
In June 2022, Canada joined the growing ranks of countries that have proposed legislation to provide a legal framework for regulating AI. But the task of regulating AI is a difficult one: users naturally want to be protected from risks, but at the same time, no one wants to be left behind as new and better technology is developed. The need for a careful and thoughtful approach to AI regulation transcends national borders, hence the interest in building an international network of experts that can share information and best practices and subsequently support legislative efforts around the globe.
Professor Castets-Renard and her team are organizing a series of activities designed to kickstart the creation of such a network. The team is planning an international colloquium, set to take place in May 2023, that will bring together emerging and established researchers in the field. The colloquium will allow researchers to get exposed to international perspectives and to understand the particular priorities and concerns of AI experts from different regions. Researchers will also be invited to consider how to share their knowledge with the general public so that AI issues are not perceived as being overly technical and reserved only for an elite group of experts.
To spread the knowledge shared and developed at the conference, the team will organize a summer school for students from Canada and France, a poster competition for students at uOttawa, a lecture for the general public at an Ottawa public library, and the creation and distribution of an educational video to share the research results and contributions. The team will also develop policy recommendations based on what is shared and learned throughout all of the activities with the goal of sharing the knowledge with legislators.
Professor Castets-Renard is joined by a team of researchers hailing from Canada, Belgium, Brazil, France, Mexico and Senegal, including Professor Jennifer Quaid from the Faculty of Law’s Civil Law Section and Professor Teresa Scassa from the Common Law Section.
The Faculty of Law wishes the best of luck to Professor Castets-Renard and her collaborators as they embark upon this important project.