Mobilizing for safe AI: IVADO welcomes the creation of the new Canadian AI Safety Institute

Montreal, November 13, 2024 – IVADO welcomes the launch of the new Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI), introduced yesterday in Montreal by Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne. CAISI marks a significant step forward in fostering the safe development and deployment of AI in Canada, a mission IVADO fully supports.

To better understand and mitigate the risks associated with advanced or misused AI systems, and particularly to protect the most vulnerable communities, this new institute will receive support from CIFAR, which will lead applied research projects, as well as from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), with support from Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, the Vector Institute, and Amii.

Since its inception, IVADO has been committed to cutting-edge AI safety research, including algorithm reliability, data protection, and ethical governance. IVADO looks forward to working closely with CAISI and its partners through strategic collaborations and cross-sectoral projects, with the goal of supporting the national effort to position Canada as a global leader in AI safety.

“The launch of the Canadian AI Safety Institute reminds us that Canada, thanks to its strong ecosystem and its world-renowned AI researchers, plays a key role in ensuring that technological advancements are aligned with principles of safety and ethics,” said Luc Vinet, CEO of IVADO. “These are crucial concerns for IVADO, and we are fully committed to working hand in hand with CAISI.”

Mobilization for safe AI

An integral part of IVADO’s R³AI vision for robust, reasoning, and responsible AI, initiated under the scientific leadership of Yoshua Bengio, IVADO’s commitment to enhanced governance and safety practices is reflected in all of the consortium’s activities. In research, two of IVADO’s ten Strategic Research Regroupements are dedicated to the responsible implementation and governance of AI and to AI safety and alignment. In training, knowledge mobilization, and technology transfer, IVADO remains determined to offer policymakers and industry stakeholders research-based recommendations to promote appropriate regulation and safe AI deployment practices in Canada.

Through partnerships, knowledge transfer, and a collaborative approach, IVADO intends to actively contribute to the goals of CAISI, the Canadian government, and CIFAR in promoting AI that is safe, ethical, and beneficial for all, in alignment with the government’s overall strategy to ensure the safe development and deployment of AI in Canada.

Photo credit : Mila