Thanks to a generous gift from Alex Trebek, the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue at the University of Ottawa is supporting the creation of a new research project on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Healthy Humans and Environments to shape the future of health, food and environmental policy-making at the AI + Society Initiative.
The health and environmental applications of AI and big data have yet to receive adequate scholarly attention, and policy makers need research support to build evidence-based public policy in this area. AI will impact the health of humans through radical changes to how we deliver and manage health care across the continuum of care, from surgical settings to long-term care homes. Much will change in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Building upon this disrupter of change, there is the potential for AI to be infused into health care systems at a far faster rate than first thought possible. As well, AI will impact environmental health--notably through data-driven sustainability improvements in food production, which is currently one of the most significant contributors to global climate change.
To tackle those challenges, the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, and the Institute for Science, Society and Policy bring together leading scholars at the University of Ottawa to support public policy makers on the benefits and challenges of AI related to the health of humans and non-human environments with the overall goal of contributing to human flourishing into the 21st century.
Housed at the University of Ottawa’s AI + Society Initiative, the new Project on AI for Healthy Humans and Environment will adopt a problem-based approach and will address issues through transdisciplinary research, and include industry, community and government partners as part of the research team. The project aims at developing tools and a framework to support policy makers in Canada and abroad in implementing “smart” changes–changes which support AI-powered healthcare and sustainable food production.
The project is led by Dr. Kelly Bronson (Canada Research Chair in Science and Society; ISSP Core member; CLTS Faculty member), Dr. Colleen M. Flood (University Research Chair on Health Law and Ethics; Director, Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics; CLTS Faculty member), and Dr. Florian Martin-Bariteau (University Research Chair in Technology and Society; Director, Centre for Law, Technology and Society; Director, AI + Society Initiative).
Designed as part of the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue, the Project on AI for Healthy Humans and Environment will build on the expertise developed at Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, and the Institute for Science, Society and Policy, in collaboration with a network of leading experts the Centre for Environmental Law and Global Sustainability, the LIFE Institute, the Centre for Governance, and the Centre for Public Law.
This new research project is supported by the transformative gift made by alumnus Alex Trebek last fall to the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue to help the University of Ottawa starts a new campus-wide public policy initiative to showcase its tremendous strengths in public policy and capitalize on its privileged position in a G7 capital.