Solution Networks Program

Artificial intelligence (AI) holds great potential to revolutionize everything from how farmers increase their crop yields, to how governments communicate with their citizens in their own languages during natural disasters, to how healthcare providers respond to global pandemics. However, these benefits are accompanied by potential threats to privacy, data misuse, and algorithmic bias that could exacerbate marginalization. There is a need to identify key governance and norms related to AI and to propose policies to address the complex challenges associated with emerging technologies.

This project proposes to strengthen policy advice, connections, and capacity in the Canadian and Global South AI ecosystems by engaging experts from across geographic, sectoral, and disciplinary boundaries on AI and governance. Solution networks would be created as collaborative opportunities for international teams of up to six individuals to develop approaches and applications that address current challenges and opportunities in the implementation of beneficial and responsible AI, such as inclusion by design, ethical by design, and green by design. The solutions could apply to sectors across society, including government, industry, healthcare, and civil society, and will focus on the development of defined practices and tools.

A call for proposals will open in the fall of 2020 and the successful network will be announced in April 2021. The network will be selected by an international expert review panel based on the quality of the proposal, the capabilities of the team, ethical and equity considerations, and the potential for uptake and scale at the end of the project. The selected team will receive three years of funding in support of project-related expenses, as well as financial and logistical support to bring the network (and invited guests) together twice a year, for up to three years, to design and develop their solution.