Universities have always been shaped by the diverse needs of society – meeting future talent needs, seeking solutions to societal challenges and collaborating to build resilient communities. Artificial intelligence (AI), automation and other technologies are increasingly becoming a workforce norm with far-reaching impacts. In response, progressive universities such as York are revolutionizing approaches to teaching, learning and research.
York’s vision is to provide a broad sociodemographic of students with access to a high-quality education at a research-intensive university committed to enhancing the well-being of the communities we serve. To realize this, we are working with partners and alumni to enhance student learning and our communities in ways that bridge the data divide and mitigate common AI pitfalls such as bias and discrimination.
As a forward-looking institution, ranking among the top universities for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we know we must continue to innovate. With 54 per cent of Canadian students expecting higher education to offer AI training, we are actively integrating technology in ways that will enhance the career-readiness and employability of our students. With more than 80 AI-related courses available at York, students can expand their understanding of AI irrespective of their academic program.
New programs are also being created, such as our Schulich Master of Management in AI, comprising an immersive curriculum that explores the evolving ethical landscape of AI and how to support organizations as they adopt and invest in AI. The new Markham Campus, which welcomed its first cohort of students this fall, is designed to offer programs that focus on technology and entrepreneurship, and to foster pedagogical innovation that is scalable to other programs.
York has long embraced the Living Lab concept, testing ideas for research while creating learning opportunities. Recent examples include: the Energy Management Information System – a state-of-the-art cloud technology that uses AI to optimize building energy in real-time; and the recently launched YU Aura (Automated University Response Assistant) – an in-house, proprietary, generative AI tool that uses datasets to create content. Together, we are leveraging technologies to enhance student learning, inform research, improve experiences and processes, and reduce expenditures. Our leadership in socially responsible AI continues to be recognized in initiatives such as Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society, a $318-million research partnership with Queen’s University that unites more than 50 partners with the goal of ensuring emerging technology promotes social health and justice.
As an institution dedicated to the sharing, dissemination and activation of knowledge, the rise of AI has reaffirmed our commitment to analyzing the positive and negative affordances of technology, and the role of social regulation in AI, utilizing all the tools we have available to address the SDGs, and equipping the next generation of change-makers with a unique brand of skills and competencies that they will need to advocate for a better world.
