Ontario Tech University answers the call to ensure AI serves humankind and the planet

OSHAWA, ONTARIO — From households to classrooms and workplaces, artificial intelligence (AI) has become deeply integrated into everyday life. As this technology’s influence accelerates worldwide, the need for leadership rooted in ethics, good governance and accountability has never been greater. Challenges and opportunities lie in balancing promise with risk so that innovations serve people and the planet.

Ontario Tech University is advancing initiatives that will establish the university, and Canada, as a global leader in ethically designed and executed AI. Through the launch of its School of Ethical Artificial Intelligence and Mindful Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, the university is setting the benchmark for human-centred innovation that’s anchored in values and guided by conscience.

“AI is transforming every part of society, and our role is to ensure that these changes are guided by ethics, integrity and serving humankind,” says Dr. Steven Murphy, President and Vice-Chancellor. “Through our teaching and research, Ontario Tech is showing the world that innovation and responsibility must co-exist. This is how we build a future where technology truly serves people and the planet.”

A framework for ethical AI

Achieving trust in AI and creating a more inclusive future requires researchers, industry, policymakers and the government to work together to confront the questions that influence AI’s design and use. he university’s AI commitment is grounded in four principles that safeguard the development of emerging technologies through care, conscience and social accountability:

• Prioritizing privacy by design.
• Ensuring robust data protection.
• Minimizing algorithmic bias.
• Addressing environmental consequences.

Building a future led by ethical leaders

Ontario Tech is not watching from the sidelines; it’s leading with bold, immediate actions to prepare students for the careers of today, and for those yet to be imagined.  

The university’s School of Ethical Artificial Intelligence unites experts across multiple disciplines, from computer science and business to engineering, education, health and social sciences, equipping students with technical expertise and preparing them to be responsible change-makers who understand how to apply critical thinking to AI systems and their outputs.

The university’s more than 65 AI-related courses help students gain the knowledge and skills to channel AI’s power toward serving society, and graduate ready to lead the workforce with integrity and purpose.

Advancing research through a mindful AI lens

The launch of the Mindful Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (MAIRI) reinforces Ontario Tech’s global reputation for thoughtful, intentional, inclusive and human-centred innovation. Bringing together more than 50 researchers from every faculty, MAIRI unites interdisciplinary expertise with key partnerships spanning academia, industry and government to explore AI’s role in advancing well-being and global flourishing.

MAIRI exemplifies Ontario Tech’s tech with a conscience ethos: innovation grounded in high ethical standards. This approach moves beyond emphasizing rapid technological and economic advancement, to consider how AI can make life better for people and communities.

Applying responsible AI in the real world

The university’s work in trustworthy AI moves beyond theory; it’s practical, measurable, responsibly designed and already changing lives:

• The Lakeridge Health Partnership for Advanced Technology in Health Care (PATH) initiative explores health-system models where AI can improve patient care, predict service demands, reduce system costs, and combat patient social isolation, while upholding fairness and dignity.
• The university works with Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences to identify and remove potential systemic bias and discrimination in AI systems that influence patient outcomes and care access.  
• In partnership with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the university explores ways to build accessibility considerations into the design of AI from the start, empowering people of all abilities to contribute to and benefit from technological innovations. Insights from this work are already informing new federal AI standards.

Learn more about SEAI, MAIRI and Ontario Tech's leadership in responsible AI innovation: ontariotechu.ca/AI.

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