Jodie Wallis,
Accenture's AI lead in Canada,
joins business journalist Amanda
Lang in "The AI Effect"
TORONTO, Feb. 20, 2018 /CNW/ - Accenture (NYSE: ACN)
executive Jodie Wallis, who leads
the company's artificial intelligence (AI) practice in Canada, has joined award-winning business
journalist Amanda Lang as a co-host
of "The AI Effect," a five-episode podcast mini-series exploring AI
in Canada.
The five-part series, which launches today, features interviews
with those shaping the country's AI ecosystem, including top
academics, policy makers, business leaders and executives at
innovative startups. It is available to download for free at
theEffect.ai.
"This is an exciting time for AI in Canada, as key stakeholders from all aspects
of the ecosystem work together to address the issue of
commercialization," Wallis said. "Canada has always been at the forefront of AI
research led by our academic institutions, but as the technology
develops we must ensure we have solutions in place to prepare the
workforce, attract and keep talent here, support Canadian startups,
and encourage adoption by Canadian businesses. By deploying AI
responsibly and combining it with industry and analytics expertise,
applied intelligence will enable the digital transformation of
organizations, extend human capabilities, and make intelligent
products and services a reality."
Notable guests interviewed by Lang and Wallis in The AI Effect
include: The Honorable Navdeep
Bains, Canada's
Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development;
Richard Zemel, co-founder and
director of research at the Vector Institute for Artificial
Intelligence; Ann Cavoukian,
distinguished expert-in-residence leading the Privacy by Design
Centre of Excellence at Ryerson
University and former Ontario privacy commissioner; Foteini
Agrafioti, head of Borealis AI and chief science officer at the
Royal Bank of Canada;
Joshua Gans, Skoll Chair of
Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Rotman School of
Management at the University of
Toronto; and Peter
Misek, a partner at BDC's IT Venture Fund.
Each episode features guests discussing various issues and
challenges facing the Canadian AI ecosystem, including:
- AI in Canada: now and in the
future;
- Ecosystem perspectives: industry, government, startups,
academia, investors;
- Drivers of change: the role of Canadian startups in the AI
landscape;
- Balancing innovation and safety: ethics, transparency, bias and
privacy; and
- Human-centered AI: developing and retaining the skills to
lead.
"Here in Canada, we have a
strong history of research in machine learning and deep learning,"
Zemel said. "In recent years, the availability of more data and
computing power has really opened doors for the application of AI
technologies. This is an exciting time for AI in Canada, and I'm pleased to see that academics,
policy makers and business leaders are contributing to the
conversation about the future."
Cavoukian said, "AI today is very different than AI will
be tomorrow, and the opportunities for businesses to innovate
through this emerging technology have never been greater. However,
as AI becomes more ingrained in all aspects of our society, we must
guard against its possible misuse by ensuring that we proactively
embed in AI measures addressing the ethical issues of privacy,
transparency and accountability."
The AI Effect podcast fosters Accenture's ongoing commitment to
AI in Canada. Accenture's founding
sponsorship of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence is
a significant initiative that demonstrates the company's continued
commitment to driving innovation in Canada.
The AI Effect is produced by Antica Productions for the eOne
Podcast Network and is sponsored by Accenture.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company,
providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy,
consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched
experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries
and all business functions – underpinned by the world's largest
delivery network – Accenture works at the intersection of business
and technology to help clients improve their performance and create
sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 435,000
people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives
innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Accenture
plans to hire 1,100 people in Canada in its current fiscal year. Visit us at
www.accenture.com.
SOURCE Accenture