Source: https://www.lefil.ulaval.ca/phare-de-reflexion-lintelligence-artificielle/

On December 3rd, Chief Scientist Rémi Quirion announced the creation of the new Observatory on the Societal Impacts of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology. The initiative will be led by Lyse Langlois, Professor and Researcher in Industrial Relations at Université Laval.

The Observatory will assemble some 20 universities and colleges, as well as close to 90 research centres. Members will work in collaboration with government, civil society and private sector organizations in Québec, Canada and abroad. Mandates involving research, monitoring, training, public consultation and recommendations on policy and legal aspects to provide a framework for the development of artificial intelligence will structure the activities of the new scientific entity. The initiative is funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ), in partnership with the ministère de l'Économie et de l'Innovation, in an amount of $1.5M per year over five years (total budget of $7.5M).

The President and Chief Executive Officer of CIRANO, Nathalie de Marcellis-Warin, Professor at Polytechnique Montréal, has been very involved throughout the process. Several other CIRANO Researchers are involved in the Observatory including Benoit Dostie (HEC Montréal), Benoit Perron (Université de Montréal), Marcelin Joanis (Polytechnique Montréal), Ari Van-Assche (HEC Montréal), Ekaterina Turkina (HEC Montréal), Guy Lacroix (HEC Montréal), Mélanie Bourrassa-Forcier (Université de Sherbrooke), Guy Paré (HEC Montréal), Roxanne Borges Da Silva (Université de Montréal), Luc Vinet (Université de Montréal) and Brenda Berkelaar (Polytechnique Montréal). Some research work of the CIRANO Pole on the Socio-economic Impacts of Digital Innovation and AI will be done in collaboration with the Observatory.