By Simone R. Brown
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the power to transform the way business is conducted and how public services are delivered, a group of panelists at the forefront of the AI revolution said at Carleton’s annual Challenge Conference.
The conversation about “catching the wave of a digital tsunami” — moderated by Allan Thompson, director of Carleton’s School of Journalism and Communication — brought together Danielle Manley, director of the university’s new School of Nursing, Carleton AI researcher Majid Komeili, Sonya Shorey, president and CEO of the economic development agency Invest Ottawa, and Julien Kathiresan, director of finance with Ottawa-based venture capital firm Mistral Venture Partners.
Whether AI sparks excitement, worry, curiosity or all of the above, one simple fact is true, said Shorey: “With great opportunity comes great responsibility.”
Moderator Allan Thompson, director of Carleton’s journalism school (right), leads a discussion titled “Catching the Wave of a Digital Tsunami” with panelists (left to right) Carleton computer scientist Majid Komeili, director of the university’s Intelligent Machines Lab; Danielle Manley, director of Carleton’s new School of Nursing; Julien Kathiresan, director of finance with Mistral Venture Partners, and Sonya Shorey, president and CEO of Invest Ottawa.
Shorey spoke passionately about the responsibility of integrating AI in a way that is “equitable, safe and reliable,” ensuring all members of society benefit from the technology’s transformative power. It’s an approach she said is necessary to ensure no Canadians are left behind in the wake of AI innovations.
Kathiresan highlighted the importance of true innovation, emphasizing the distinction between businesses that are genuinely harnessing AI to create value and what he termed an “AI wrapper company” — a firm that’s only superficially exploiting AI “hype” to rebrand itself without any innovative thought.
Unlocking something better
The excitement around AI, he insisted, lies in “companies trying to unlock something better.”
Manley said AI applications offer great potential for improving the delivery of healthcare. She gave the example of tools that offer “ambient listening” capture of conversations between patients and medical practitioners to reduce the crushing paperwork burden faced by many healthcare professionals. These audio recording, transcribing and notetaking features can free healthcare providers to focus more on patient care and less on filing documentation.
“In healthcare,” said Manley, rather than money, “time is the ultimate currency.”
In turn, AI tools can be used to empower patients to get more involved in their “health care journey,” helping them understand medical terms procedures and care options.
The potential capability of artificial intelligence tools in the field “blows my mind,” said Manley. “I’m excited about AI.”
Komeili, a computer scientist and director of Carleton’s Intelligent Machines Lab, has worked with the City of Ottawa to demonstrate how AI can be used to predict someone’s risk of chronic homelessness and plan for effective intervention strategies. He explained that chronic homelessness is defined as someone staying in a shelter for at least 180 days within the past year.
Students working in the Intelligent Machines Lab
He emphasized the importance of a balanced conversation in society about “AI innovations and opportunities, as well as risks and AI safety.”
Kathiresan said he was particularly excited about AI’s power as a “multi-modal system” that can combine text, audio, video and various forms of data into a “coherent” whole.
“To me that’s fascinating — and in many ways, pretty human-like.”
Shorey said AI can help businesses generate elaborate marketing strategies “that normally would have taken weeks or months” but are “now being produced in minutes.” She said AI makes it possible for companies who use the technology effectively to have “teams of 10 that can act like teams of 100.”
But that raises a question about “what happens to the other 90 people?” she acknowledged.
Shorey noted that AI is changing the employment landscape, with some jobs going and new ones being created. For her, it’s about seeing how AI can work to improve the job market in a way that people can still do what they love.
“How do we make sure the right people get the right opportunities?”
