AI Policy Forum
Co-located with the Canadian Conference on AI, Robots & Vision (AI/CRV), the AI Policy Forum is designed to bridge the worlds of innovation, business, and public policy. By bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, and policymakers in one setting, this event creates a unique forum for dialogue between those developing frontier technologies and those shaping the economic and regulatory environment in which they will be deployed.
9:00am-15:30pm on May 25 2026, ASB 10900
Program Overview
Registration
Breakfast
ASB 10900
Welcome remarks
[Keynote] The Evolving Nature of a National AI Strategy: A Personal Perspective
Arvind Gupta, Member of the Government of Canada’s AI Strategy Task Force
Abstract: Canada, along with most other governments, have been pushing for AI to become a major economic driver. Initially they sided with the tech community in wanting a regulatory framework that would maximize AI’s potential. In early Fall 2025 the Government of Canada launched a national consultation on AI which resulted in over 100,000 submissions, by far the most they have received for any consultation. They also created an AI Strategy Task Force to provide expert advice. Since then a number of events (the shootings at Tumbler Ridge, the war in Iran, etc) have led governments to realize that they must also carefully consider regulations designed to ensure the safe and responsible uses of AI. This is a fast evolving issue, especially as ever more powerful generative AI models are being developed showcasing the potential harm from such systems. In this talk I will share some personal perspectives on the evolving nature of our national AI strategy.
The Future of Research, Learning, and Innovation in the Era of AI: A Conversation with Panch
Sethuraman Panchanathan, former Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation
Join The Honorable Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan for an engaging and interactive conversation about why it is imperative for us to work together to rethink and co-create our future. Drawing on his extensive experience as the former director of the U.S. National Science Foundation and as a world-renowned researcher and computing leader, Panch will share his views on why we all share the responsibility for co-creating the future we want for ourselves, future scientists, and society.
Coffee Break
Panel Discussion on Technology Policy and Economic Impact
Daniel Schwanen, SVP at C. D. Howe Institute
Jing Yang, Managing Director at the Bank of Canada
Lunch Break
Panel Discussion on AI Adoption and Commercialization
Andrew Donaher, VP at CGI
Guy Dulude, VP at Siemens
Greg Mori, VP at RBC
Justin Watts, Distinguished Engineer at Telus
About the Forum
As AI increasingly drives productivity, competitiveness, and institutional transformation, the policy and capital decisions made today will play a critical role in determining how its benefits are realized across the Canadian economy. This event will focus on the strategic priorities needed to translate cutting-edge AI research into world-class commercial applications, enhanced public sector capability, long-term economic growth and broad societal benefit.
Through a series of focused panels, the forum will explore the intersection of AI innovation, capital formation and policymaking – from commercialization pathways and enterprise adoption to standards, public trust, and infrastructure investment. Particular emphasis will be placed on strengthening the Canadian AI ecosystem through collaboration across academia, industry and government.
Keynote Speakers
Sethuraman Panchanathan
Arizona State University; former Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation
Arvind Gupta
University of Toronto; former President of UBC; former CEO of Mitacs; Member of the Government of Canada's AI Strategy Task Force
Panel Speakers
Daniel Schwanen
Senior Vice President, C.D. Howe Institute
Jing Yang
Managing Director, Bank of Canada
Greg Mori
VP, AI Research and Innovation, RBC Borealis; Adjunct Professor, Simon Fraser University
Guy Dulude
Vice President, Portfolio Development & Sales Acceleration (Canada), Siemens
Andrew Donaher
Vice President, CGI Vancouver
Justin Watts
Distinguished Engineer, Telus
Acknowledgements
The Microsoft CMT service was used for managing the peer-reviewing process for this conference. This service was provided for free by Microsoft and they bore all expenses, including costs for Azure cloud services as well as for software development and support.
