Ethical AI can unlock social and economic opportunity for Canada
Imagine that you are about to begin an important university exam. You sit down in front of your computer, already stressed because all learning and evaluations are now online due to COVID-19. Moments before the exam is about to begin, the university’s proctoring software, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to confirm each person’s identity, […]
The robot revolution is changing jobs and businesses in Canada
In 2017, I returned to Canada from Sweden, where I had spent a year working on automation in mining. Shortly after my return, The New York Times published a piece called, “The Robots Are Coming, and Sweden Is Fine,” about Sweden’s embrace of automation while limiting human costs. Although Swedes are apparently optimistic about their […]
Canada’s critical mineral wealth a gem for domestic advanced manufacturing, say experts and stakeholders
Canada has a vast array of critical minerals waiting to be tapped into to supply an increasingly important global demand that’s currently dominated by China, experts say, but an open question is how Canada plans to meet that demand. The Canadian government and industry can follow a similar path and be a natural resource export […]
Canada has a running start in the technology leadership race
As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, Canadians are now depending more than ever on reliable connectivity to stay in touch, work, and conduct business. The pandemic has presented new challenges which increasingly require digital solutions, and have brought to the fore pre-existing discussions on the vital role of emerging technologies. The potential benefits […]
Time for Canada to catch up on technological transformation
Nobel-prize winning economist Paul Krugman once quipped that “productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything.” He was referring to the fact that the wages of workers are intrinsically linked to productivity and that a country’s standard of living depends almost entirely on its ability to increase output per worker. Other […]
Rogers-Shaw merger potentially a bad sign for 5G rollout in Canada, experts and advocates say
The recently announced $26-billion merger between two telecom giants is likely a bad sign for 5G rollout in Canada, experts say, because of already relatively low spending from Rogers on the needed infrastructure for the new technology and the uncertain position it puts Shaw in with the upcoming spectrum auction essential to offering the speeds […]
AI and 5G
Rising to the challenge of facing inequities in health research
At a time when humanity copes with a once in a century public health crisis, the theme for International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 carried a poignant resonance: “#ChooseToChallenge.” As IWD organizers describe it: “We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate […]
A week of frosty strolls and dire variant warnings
COVID-19 innovations hold lessons for national policy
As the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in early 2020, we witnessed an unprecedented mobilization of the world’s scientific community to develop solutions. Canadian researchers and companies are making vital contributions to these efforts, especially in the area of therapeutics and vaccines. These accomplishments should be celebrated, but also studied, as they can teach us a great […]
