Artificial Intelligence Focus of Nov. 6 Derry Dialogues

“Living Among Intelligent Machines” will be the topic of the second annual Derry Dialogues next week at the University of Guelph.

Experts in machine learning and artificial intelligence will take part in a panel discussion Nov. 6, 5:30-7 p.m., in Thornbrough 1200.

Among the panellists will be Prof. Graham Taylor, who studies machine learning in the School of Engineering. He is academic director of NextAI, a Toronto-based accelerator for artificial intelligence startups, and a member of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, also based in Toronto.

An internationally recognized expert in deep learning, he was named in 2016 by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) as one of two Azrieli Global Scholars in CIFAR’s Learning in Machines and Brains program.

Another panellist will be computer science professor Rozita Dara, head of the data management and data governance research program at U of G.  She studies big data analytics, data mining and data governance, with applications in privacy, social intelligence and precision agriculture.

Other panellists are the following:

• Ajay Agrawal: Peter Munk Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto; research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and co-founder of NextAI
• Michael Geist: visiting professor at universities worldwide; prolific writer on Internet and intellectual property law issues; editor of many books including Law, Privacy and Surveillance in Canada in the Post-Snowden Era
• Ajung Moon: director of the Open Roboethics Institute; technology analyst and CEO of Generation R Consulting; co-chair of the Canadian Robotics Strategy and member of the International Panel on the Regulation of Autonomous Weapons.

The event will be moderated by Rebecca Finlay, CIFAR vice-president, engagement and public policy.

The Derry Dialogues are supported by the Douglas and Margaret Derry Foundation. Douglas Derry is a former U of G Board of Governors chair and Margaret Derry is an adjunct U of G history professor and agricultural historian.