Think Twice: A Citizen’s Guide to AI
Canada’s federal government is pushing Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption and the build out of data centres, but Canadians can, and should, push back. The harms of the AI industry are real and the benefits are speculative. Before we embrace it, we should count the costs. CCPA experts in AI, Senior Researchers Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood and Simon Enoch, and Research Assistant Rachel Pettigrew, will weigh in and answer questions.
Speakers
Hadrian Mertins-Kirwood
Senior Researcher·Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Simon Enoch
Senior Researcher·Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Simon Enoch is the senior researcher for Saskatchewan issues and policies. He holds a BA in Political Science, a Masters in Labour Studies and a PhD in Communication & Culture. Active in both the labour movement and media reform efforts, Simon has published in a variety of academic journals and other news media. He lives in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Amanda Klang
Senior Communications Specialist, host·Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Amanda comes to this role in the CCPA after working in journalism for 15 years, for both CBC and Radio-Canada.In her work as a CBC News producer with the National Radio Syndication team, Amanda prepared stories for audiences across Canada that focused on a range of topics. She has a bachelor and master’s degree in literature and history, respectively. She did her degrees at UC Berkeley and UBC. She is bilingual in French and English.
Rachel Pettigrew
Research Assistant·Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Drawing on a degree in sociology and a Master of Social Work, Rachel’s work combines policy research and advocacy to advance the interests of workers, communities and the environment amid political, economic and technological change.
Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood (he/him) is a senior researcher and political economist. His work focuses on federal economic, social and environmental policy, especially in the areas of climate change, artificial intelligence and industrial strategy. Hadrian edits the monthly Shift Storm newsletter on climate and labour, and he is a contributor to the CCPA’s Trade and Investment Research Project and Alternative Federal Budget. He holds an MA in Political Economy from Carleton University and a BA in Communications from Western University.