We are thrilled to announce the 2020 Montreal cohort of the CIFAR-OSMO AI4Good Lab. This year 30 women-identified STEM students from 13 different universities and 7 provinces across Canada will participate in our virtual training program for women in AI.
The AI4Good Lab was founded by Doina Precup and Angelique Mannella in 2017 and has run every summer in Montreal. With founding partners OSMO and CIFAR, this 2020 cohort marks the 4th year of training the next generation of diverse AI leaders, and grows our pan-Canadian network of Lab participants to 110 women.
Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the program will be held virtually from June 8th to July 28th to promote social distancing. The Lab will maintain its focus on participatory learning and community collaboration with small work-groups; key speakers from our industry, academic, and non-profit partners; and VR networking opportunities for our larger events.
This time of social distancing emphasizes the importance of the AI4Good Lab's mission to enhance diversity & inclusion in technology and inspire the use of AI as a tool for social good. The global crisis only highlights these needs.
In the coming weeks we will be announcing our ecosystem of partners and individuals without whom the Lab would not be possible. If you or your organization is interested in participating, please reach out.
"I hope to use what I learn in this lab to build a project that can bring relief to others during this global pandemic."
-Harpriya Bagri, UBC
During the second half of the 7-week program, the participants will work on AI prototypes to tackle a social good problem of their choosing. Many of the participants described a focus on helping others during the pandemic, and we are excited to see their developments.
In a virtual format, the participants will experience a 4-week machine learning bootcamp; 3-weeks of prototyping; a mash-up of networking events, industry, research, and social good speakers; and mentorship.
Please meet our incoming participants for the 2020 Montreal Program:
