AI Talent: IVADO and Confiance IA launch a program to promote responsible AI in Quebec

Montréal, January 7, 2025 – IVADO and Confiance IA are pleased to announce the launch of the AI Talent Program, a collaborative initiative designed to advance responsible AI practices within Quebec’s businesses. The program will offer companies the opportunity to work with graduate and post-graduate students from Quebec’s universities, driving innovation projects centered around trustworthy AI.

The AI Talent Program is driven by an ambitious vision: to strengthen the ties between academia and industry by promoting AI systems that are transparent, secure, and ethically responsible. Selected projects will be expected to uphold legal and ethical standards, minimize environmental impact, and embrace responsible practices, all while cultivating an inclusive and collaborative workplace.

Why should Quebec businesses participate? 

Businesses with fewer than 500 employees are invited to submit their projects by February 16, 2025. By participating in the AI Talent Program, they will benefit from:

• Advanced expertise: collaborate with highly skilled students to address real-world challenges.
• Strategic innovation: support in adopting best practices for responsible and sustainable AI.
• Attractive financial support: leverage Mitacs’ support to maximize their contribution of up to $7,500 (+ taxes) per project.

A unique experience for students

Selected candidates will complete a full-time, four-month internship with a Quebec-based company and receive a stipend of at least $10,000. This unique experience will allow them to tackle real-world AI challenges while contributing to projects that adhere to best practices in responsible AI. They will not only expand their career prospects but also play a key role in developing innovative, sustainable solutions.

Timeline

• Application opening: January 7, 2025
• Submission deadline: February 16, 2025
• Internship start: May 2025, after finalizing agreements with Mitacs

Young researchers: the key to responsible AI in Quebec

Through this new program, IVADO and Confiance IA strengthen their commitment to AI for the benefit of society by trusting young AI talents. In addition to inspiring sustainable and inclusive practices within Quebec’s AI ecosystem, the AI Talent Program fosters the creation of opportunities for students.

For more information on the AI Talent Program, participation criteria, and the call for projects, visit the websites of IVADO and Confiance IA.

About Confiance IA

Confiance IA is an industrial consortium founded in 2023, driven by Montreal’s industrial ecosystem and funded by the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE). Committed to addressing the challenges of Quebec’s diverse sectors, Confiance IA adopts an applied approach and an innovation cycle that is specifically tailored to the business realities of Quebec companies.

About IVADO

IVADO is an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral  research, training and knowledge mobilization consortium whose mission is to develop and promote a robust, reasoning and responsible AI. Led by Université de Montréal with four university partners (Polytechnique Montréal, HEC Montréal, Université Laval and McGill University), IVADO brings together research centres, government bodies and industry members to co-build ambitious cross-sectoral initiatives with the goal of fostering a paradigm shift for AI and its adoption.