Canada has long been a global leader in AI development, with deep roots in machine learning and a strong ecosystem of research and innovation. As the field advances, however, the focus is shifting to deeper questions of transparency, data ownership, and algorithmic fairness. Canada AI Day 2025 brought together leading voices from academia, industry, and policy to explore how we can build AI systems that are not only high performing, but also trustworthy, ethical, and aligned with the public good.
Held in Toronto alongside the ACM KDD conference and co-organized by CIFAR, with support from Connected Minds, the event reflected a strong alignment of values between CIFAR and Connected Minds, particularly a shared commitment to ethical, inclusive, and socially accountable approaches to AI development. Dr. Aijun An, a Connected Minds York Research Chair in Reliable Artificial Intelligence, helped steer key conversations on openness and human impact, reinforcing Canada’s leadership in developing AI that serves society as a whole. Together, these programs are working to ensure that scientific innovation is grounded in public interest and long-term impact.
Sessions throughout the day addressed a wide range of pressing challenges, including ethical design, inclusive innovation, and the broader societal effects of AI technologies, which are all central to Connected Minds’ research priorities. Discussions covered topics such as training language models with open data, applying linguistic frameworks to better understand AI behaviour, evaluating fairness in complex systems, and creating natural language interfaces that empower users. Together, these dialogues emphasized the importance of embedding ethics and collaboration throughout AI development. The event reinforced the need for approaches that uphold fairness and foster sustainable benefits for communities. These are the same values that shape and guide our work at Connected Minds.
As a program committed to mobilizing knowledge and preparing future AI leaders, Connected Minds saw Canada AI Day as a clear example of how meaningful dialogue can drive responsible innovation. The conversations emphasized values like openness, accountability, and social benefit over speed or efficiency. These are exactly the kinds of conversations we are committed to supporting through our research funding, trainee programs, and partnerships. Canada AI Day also served as a reminder of the importance of cultivating interdisciplinary talent to engage with AI’s social dimensions as well as its technical ones. By supporting research that bridges computation with critical inquiry, Connected Minds is helping to shape a future where AI development is guided by justice, equity, and care.
We’re grateful to have contributed to this national dialogue and to witness the momentum building across Canada for more ethical and inclusive AI. Events like Canada AI Day reflect a growing, shared vision for technological progress that uplifts all communities, and that’s a vision we’re proud to champion.