Artificial Intelligence @ Dawson
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies are spreading rapidly, impacting the labour market and generating major transformations in the workforce. Along with these changes come ethical and social issues that will need to be tackled, sooner or later. According to a recent report released by the World Economic Forum on The Future of Jobs, technological breakthroughs such as high-speed mobile internet, machine learning, augmented and virtual reality, big-data analytics, and cloud technology will be spearheading companies’ adoption of new technologies between 2018 and 2022. Furthermore, according to the same report, “in purely quantitative terms, 75 million current job roles may be displaced by the shift in the division of labour between humans, machines and algorithms, while 133 million new job roles may emerge at the same time.”
The education sector is mobilizing to identify the many challenges and opportunities that the proliferation of AI presents. Dawson College is well-positioned to make substantive contributions to this enterprise and to fill an important role in the burgeoning AI ecosystem. Regardless of program of study, all of our students will graduate into a rapidly evolving economy driven by powerful, pervasive and somewhat nebulous technologies The pace and scale of change makes the exact future that awaits them is difficult to predict.
However, as a community and through a variety of approaches and a wide range of initiatives, Dawson College aims to revolutionize college education and better prepare the leaders of tomorrow. We will not delegate this responsibility to undergraduate or graduate studies. Groundbreaking technologies offer great rewards to those who learn to master them, but equally dire consequences to those swept along in the tide of change without a basic understanding of the landscape. Dawson College is in a unique position to influence how the CEGEP network ultimately decides to address this turning point in economic history.
How to get involved
The AI initiative at Dawson is cross-disciplinary and multi-faceted and there is a myriad of ways to get involved. If you are faculty, there will be regular calls for proposals for research and teaching fellowships. There is also a Community of Practice that meets a couple of times per month that is open to all. For those looking to influence the direction of the initiative itself, there is an AI task force composed of members of the Dawson community, which aims to have representation from across the college. For more information, contact the DawsonAI Project Lead, Joel Trudeau, at jtrudeau@dawsoncollege.qc.ca.
There will also be AI Events often organized and hosted by the AI Teaching and Research Fellows. The calendar of events will display below when there are upcoming events scheduled.
AI Accelerator Programs
Launched this summer, as a partnership between Dawson College, AI Launch Lab and Mitacs, the AI Accelerator Program represents the next step in R&D program initiatives, providing college students with the opportunity to work on real-world projects. The program could be followed by a paid internship for college students by Mitacs in collaboration with organizations or companies.
The new 10-week online program provides the tools and exposure needed to enable students from all disciplines to launch their careers in AI and will start Saturday, September 28, 2024. We are now accepting applications — All college students get free access!
Featured Past Events
Dawson AI Student Expo
Event showcasing innovative AI and data storytelling projects occurred on Friday, April 5, 2024.
D.AI Expo ’24 featured presentations from Dawson students and faculty, alongside contributions from our partner organizations AI Launch Lab and Mitacs. It was a unique opportunity to explore a spectrum of AI topics undertaken by students in and out of the classroom and to expose how AI can be integrated into education.
Of interest to all educators: Explore how you and your students might use GPT 4.0 profitably and responsibly in the classroom!
D.AI Data Challenge 2024
A new Data Challenge will take place in 2025. No prior experience required for participation! More details to come in January, 2025.
The challenge is designed to be doable for college students of any background or program. Preparatory exercises are always provided for participants. Information about the Winter 2024 edition can be found at the link.
To learn more about DawsonAI
Joel Trudeau: jtrudeau@dawsoncollege.qc.ca Robert Stephens:rstephens@dawsoncollege.qc.ca
