### Vector Institute Hosts Generative AI Leadership Summit The Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, a leading research center in Canada, recently convened the first-of-its-kind Generative AI Leadership Summit. This event, held in October 2023, brought together 170 experts and executives from 32 large and small organizations across Canada to discuss the challenges and opportunities of embracing generative AI. The summit aimed to facilitate connections, share knowledge, and explore the best paths forward for integrating this transformative technology into business operations. #### Key Events and Themes The summit spanned four days and covered three core themes: business strategy, technical execution, and control and governance. Each day featured keynote presentations, panel discussions, and smaller roundtable sessions to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue. **Day 1: Opening Plenary and Keynotes** - **Cameron Schuler**, Vector’s Chief Commercialization Officer and VP of Industry Innovation, opened the event by emphasizing the need to maximize value and minimize risk in generative AI adoption. He likened the current state of AI to the early days of personal computers, where the focus is on learning how to effectively utilize the technology. - **Michelle Bourgeois and Vik Pant** from PwC discussed the transition from initial enthusiasm to a more measured approach, highlighting the importance of aligning AI models with business objectives and choosing the least complex models. - **Rihana Msadek** from Google and **Tony Kaikeday** from NVIDIA presented on their companies’ generative AI products and services, while **Obimdike Okongwa** from OSFI shared insights on the agency’s risk and benefit assessment framework for AI. **Day 2: Business Strategy** - **Chris Mar**, PwC’s national transformation and strategy leader, addressed the need for large companies to develop new practices and decision-making processes to integrate AI effectively. He stressed the importance of involving all stakeholders in these decisions. - **Alex Cui**, CTO of GPT Zero and a former Vector researcher, discussed challenges like data poisoning and hallucinations, emphasizing the need for transparency in AI systems. - The day concluded with a workshop by **Vik Pant and Bahar Sateli** from PwC, focusing on the strategic importance of determining use cases and assessing technology options. **Day 3: Technical Execution** - **Tracy Jenkins**, a professor at Queen’s University, presented research on how large language models (LLMs) reproduce human biases and make logical errors, underscoring the need for rigorous bias measurement and performance assessment. - **Akshaya Mishra** from EAIGLE Inc. shared the technical challenges of creating a multi-modal AI system for real-time asset tracking, including model explainability and power consumption management. - **David Emerson**, a U of T professor and Vector machine learning scientist, led a workshop on the capabilities, customization, and fairness of generative NLP models, explaining the technical advancements and ethical considerations. **Day 4: Control and Governance** - **Tony Gaffney**, Vector’s president and CEO, discussed the historic opportunity and responsibility of making generative AI safe and trustworthy. He highlighted Vector’s code of conduct and AI principles and the importance of weighing opportunities against risks. - **Mark Paulson**, Associate VP for Enterprise IT Governance at Canadian Tire, described the company’s approach to managing the risks of multiple AI tools through a governance framework. - **Dan Adamson** from Armilla AI provided a workshop on implementing safeguards for generative AI, including maintaining an inventory of AI tools, assessing risks, and establishing clear roles and responsibilities. #### Key Takeaways and Discussions 1. **Critical Use Case Evaluation** - Participants emphasized the importance of not adopting AI blindly. The first rule of AI, as noted, is "don’t use AI" unless it is the right tool for the job. Starting with a clear business objective and justifying the use of AI is crucial to avoid unnecessary risks and uncertainties. 2. **AI Education and Literacy** - The summit highlighted the need for comprehensive AI education and literacy. Both within organizations and the broader public, understanding the nature of generative AI and its potential risks is essential. Training should cover principles of AI risk, privacy, security, and data management to ensure informed and safe use. 3. **Organizational Change** - Adopting generative AI requires significant organizational change. While building proof of concepts is straightforward, scaling and integrating these solutions into existing processes is challenging. Effective communication and collaboration across different functions are necessary to build consensus and develop guidelines for responsible AI use. 4. **Inclusive Conversations** - Participants valued the roundtable format, which allowed them to share experiences and learn from each other. Broad and inclusive discussions are vital for advancing the use of generative AI and communicating the private sector’s commitment to AI trust and safety. #### Future Directions The summit concluded with a call to action for industry leaders, organizations, and researchers to engage in collaborative projects that move beyond discussion and start implementing responsible AI practices. Vector is inviting stakeholders to join future events and initiatives to collectively shape the future of AI adoption in Canada. **Participating Organizations:** - BMO Financial Group, Google, NVIDIA, RBC, Scotiabank, TD Bank Group, Bell Canada, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd., Canadian Tire Corporation, Ltd., CIBC, KPMG Canada, OMERS, Sun Life Financial, TELUS, Linamar Corporation, CentML Inc., Private AI, Troj.AI, and PwC Canada. - Vector Fastlane companies: Armilla AI Inc., Eaigle Inc., Ethical AI Inc., Fairly AI Inc., GPTZero Inc., PredictNow Inc. - Ecosystem partners: Canadian Bankers Association, Canadian Marketing Association, GovTechON, Global Risk Institute, Law Commission of Ontario, and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. The Generative AI Leadership Summit at the Vector Institute marks a significant step in Canada’s journey to responsible AI adoption, fostering a collaborative and informed approach to this emerging technology.