True North

AI promises an exciting future. The upside is massive. It has the potential to help us solve the most obnoxious problems plaguing humanity. We could see giant leaps forward in medicine, manufacturing, transportation, biotech, agriculture, government, and on and on. No more crappy jobs. Maybe we’ll even get those flying cars we were promised.

But we have concerns.

It’s not killer robots that scare us, though that is terrifying. We’re afraid of AI nobody understands making life and death decisions for us. We’re afraid of economy-destroying, human value-displacing tech, controlled by a handful of people with all-too-human motives. We are afraid that, if there is a bug -- because there are always bugs -- we won’t be able patch it before it’s too late.

Can we take a minute to talk this through?

11:15 - Welcome - John Kelleher

11:20 - Marylin Ma: The True Story of AI is Still Being Written
Intelligence is a loaded word. It can represent different meanings to different people. Is our progress towards building intelligent robots as far along as we think? The answer depends on what you define as intelligent. This talk explores where AI development currently stands and ways we can direct our efforts in the near term to maximize benefit to mankind.

11:25 - Joseph Fung: Working Among the Machines
A whopping 80% of companies plan to use automated service technologies by 2020 — how do we do this in a way that machines help us, not replace us? AI and Machine Learning technology can be leveraged for continuous learning and developing a higher skill set to reach our full potential. Performing faster, more efficient, and better. The future of work requires changing the focus of your work.  Make AI work for (not against) you and become better at being human.

11:45 - Suzanne Gildert: Ultra-Human-Like Robots - Bringing Science Fiction to Life
Throughout the entirety of human history, we have always dreamed about - and been captivated by - the idea of creating machines that are like us. Human-like robots have appeared in endless science fiction movies, in both utopian and - more often - dystopian narratives.

Recent advancements in hardware technologies such as improved sensors, batteries, actuators and 3D printing are allowing us to realise the dream of building human-like robots. Meanwhile, advancements in machine learning and AI are enabling the minds of such robots to become increasingly human-like.

Over the next couple of decades we will have to begin considering the rights and responsibilities of highly intelligent, sentient robot life. In this talk, Suzanne Gildert, Founder and CEO of Sanctuary.ai and SingularityU Canada Faculty describes how machines that look, move, feel and think like us may soon emerge, and what the social, economic and ethical implications of these breakthroughs might be.

12:20 - Ali Asaria: The Role of Human Workers in a Post Automation, Post AI World
In this talk, Tulip CEO Ali Asaria will discuss how the rise of automation and AI will disrupt labour on scale and pace unlike any productive technology in history. He will discuss the challenges for the economy, but also the opportunities for humanity. Ali will also outline practical considerations for technologists and leaders to ensure that the use of automation and AI in the workforce helps human values rise to the top.

12:35 - Marcel O'Gorman: AI Beyond Ethics
Discussions about the ethics of Artificial Intelligence can only go so far, given that it is impossible to predict the outcomes of AI applications. O'Gorman will discuss why it is necessary to integrate other non-technical disciplines besides ethics at the R&D level of AI, not only to mitigate risk, but also to ensure that AI is applied in ways that have a positive impact on the human condition and on the planet that sustains us.

12:50  - Francois Gand: Unlocking Communication with AI
What happens when a human being loses the ability to communicate or even compute on a daily basis? What can AI do to assist? What are the benefits, implications and consequences of AI playing a stronger role in the healthcare industry?  This session will explore very concept of human limitations and where the machine potentially becomes essential to one's life.

12:55 - Closing Remarks - John Kelleher