Ryan Merkley

I want to say out loud that several of these folx are my most trusted collaborators, others are new leaders to our shared network. But ALL are experts in this space who usually teach longer (more costly) courses and private client programs. This is a low time/cost commitment that will pay you MAX dividends. How to join a board? What’s the commitment of time and expectations? Going beyond “governance” rules, because many real people (not just the wealthy, powerful or ‘connected’), join a small charity or nonprofit board to support a vision, a cause, a community or leaders they believe in…so how can you be not just productive but a GOOD board member? Join these experts and get the scoop.

12

Universal access is an aim of a potential Digital Canadian Dollar (#CBDC) with inclusivity of people with cognitive disabilities. In this vein the authors involve people with cognitive disabilities in the development of a framework and subsequent guidelines for designers. Importantly this excellent work is applicable to any digital payments and user experience designers can utilize it towards better inclusion. From my colleagues Sebastian Hernandez, Alexandra Sutton-Lalani, John Miedema, Badr Omrane at Bank of Canada in collaboration with Virginie Cobigo, Fatoumata Bah, Munazza Tahir, Danika Lévesque at University of Ottawa / Open Collaboration for Cognitive Accessibility. https://lnkd.in/eVdsqw4w

70

Great to see my 2022 report "Canada's Moonshot: Solving Grand Challenges Through Transformational Innovation" cited in this blog by Tim Draimin for Social Innovation Canada. As Tim argues "Our innovation policy will ultimately determine how well our country navigates a very complex global and national future buffeted by a polycrisis rippling with environmental, social, economic and geo-strategic challenges". I couldn't agree more. In the report, I argued for a shift towards a more intentional approach to our innovation policy toolkit - understanding that not all innovation is equal in its outcomes, and some of the challenges we face will never be profitable areas to focus on unless the government plays a more hands-on market-shaping role. The case for this shift is as strong as ever. You can read the blog here: https://lnkd.in/gBdPskvh And can read my original report for the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship (now The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University) here: https://lnkd.in/gQwxtY_C

22

1 Comment

Today's Orbit Policy's Deep Dive newsletter looks at: 📈 New data on R&D spending in the Higher Education sector - and how Canada's strong performance there is important but not enough to yield economic and societal benefits. 🤖 The race between AI and regulatory capacity in the US. While Canada's regulators haven't been hobbled in the same way - we are still in the same race to establish guide rails for emerging technology and our attempt to do that is currently in limbo. 🚢 Another important global trend - the move to de-risk supply chains. We're seeing that play out in Canada with billions being spent on EV and battery supply chains, as well as tariffs on Chinese EVs - but this is a trend that goes far beyond any one sector and will have major impacts on our economy over years to come. You can check out the full post here: https://lnkd.in/g3-kKkCc

8

The Internet is blowing up today as people learn about #NotebookLM. Check out our InnovateUS recording of our free, virtual workshop with Steven Johnson, Editorial Director at #GoogleLabs and creator of #NotebookLM. Watch now here https://lnkd.in/ekHveJcA In this training, Steven introduces NotebookLM, Google's new AI-powered research and writing tool, and walks through several use cases that demonstrate using NotebookLM to capture information from source documents. Steven discusses the pros and cons of "collaborating" with #AI research assistants, and gives a preview of new upcoming features. This workshop is part of InnovateUS’ “Artificial Intelligence Industry Series” where speakers from leading technology companies will teach participants how to use specific artificial intelligence tools. We do not promote or endorse any particular products, but we want to offer our audience a chance to learn more about using specific upcoming tools for their everyday work. Watch now here https://lnkd.in/ekHveJcA

56

1 Comment

Interesting article from THE GLOBE AND MAIL: "Revolution, interrupted One of the promises of machine learning was better drugs, faster. A decade in, AI has failed to live up to the hype" “If you rewind the clock 10 years, there was a lot of hubris, a lot of hype and a lot of big claims that were made that have perhaps not played out in reality.” It seems like we keep falling for nice stories! AI is not a magic wand, the hype can't ever be lived up to because AI is being applied, incorrectly, science fiction-like. The hype over OpenAI ChatGPT has fooled people with the appearance of intelligence, but AI is not intelligent; it can't think, and there is no machine "learning" happening. Just predicting the next word based on programmed training data; we humans have common sense, so we should use it once in a while. "Does ChatGPT really produce anything new? Or does it just remix the material in its vast repository of training data?" "Everyone is kind of using the same data,” so where is the advantage? "Typically, AI models can be improved by cramming more data into them." This is a fallacy, all you are creating is an infinite loop of hallucinations. If we want the benefits of AI for human progress, we have to change our thinking about AI's utility function. "Molecular biology is immensely more complicated than building a chatbot, inflated expectations and dashed hopes." "AI is just one more tool for a complex job. It’s a hammer.”

3

4 Comments

“One of the reasons Canada is facing a "Productivity Emergency" (BOC's words) is because of a lack of business investment and a decline in capital intensity. Canada doesn't build anymore. Intellectual Property Product (Software + R&D) has improved, but it is too small relative to changes in non-residential construction and capital equipment.” (via Richard Dias, CFA) https://lnkd.in/g9bgr873

56

15 Comments

The Qualitative Applied Health Research Center at King's College London wisely reminds us that community stakeholders and constituents are often the most suited for researching issues that matter to and impact them. This article shares a few tips for how YOU can engage communities in the co-production of participatory research. #research #communityimpact https://lnkd.in/geqKxq_M

5

1 Comment

This announcement is a day late and a dollar short. After 5 years of research into lies and misinformation, I can tell you the data is clear. Fighting misinformation online is never a bad thing to do (or fund), but pointing it out is well... pointless. Our federal and provincial governments must invest in educating our children K-12 to be curious, ask questions, and learn critical thinking. Our future will be based on how well our children and theirs identify and manage their biases and the embrace the joy of discovery and asking questions. Only then will "fighting misinformation online" see results. The close to $300,000 in funding signals, I hope, a beginning (and not an attempt to fund a little Dutch boy to plug the flow of misinformation with his finger). We live in a Theater of Lies. Freedom from it comes from becoming andinformed audience. #misinformation #propaganda #education https://lnkd.in/gwVquKRK

1

Bob (Robert) Fay rightly argues that (direct quote): *it is essential to recognize that the drivers of wealth creation have changed, while our frameworks have not. And these frameworks apply to our entire economy, not just to the high-tech sector that, unsurprisingly, receives much attention. Traditional sectors such as agriculture, mining, oil and gas, and forestry have long generated substantial wealth for Canadians. What will drive future growth in those sectors, make them more productive and generate greater wealth? It’s investment in intangibles: harnessing the data that can bolster precision agriculture and mining; building the skills to use the advanced analytic techniques; and protecting the intellectual property (IP) that could not only open doors to financing but also ensure that the gains from these investments are captured*.

10

🚨 Linked In network: YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! 🚨 Are you a reporter or journalist, or know someone who is? In approximately 650 words or less, I've penned an opinion piece tackling a topic I think needs more attention: AI literacy and why it’s critical for Canada’s future. It covers how AI is reshaping our lives and why equipping our society with the skills to navigate this new reality is more important than ever. Not to engage in clickbait or anything, but I believe the ending of the piece would surprise people and open up some interesting conversations... If you’re in media or know someone who is, I’d love to connect and discuss! Feel free to drop me a message or share this with your network. I want to ensure this important conversation remains top of mind for our leaders when considering how to address AI's lesser-known impacts on society and that it reaches the right audience. Any help is appreciated. Merci! --- Disclaimer: the image below is generated by artificial intelligence.

8

6 Comments

What a fantastic opportunity to dive deeper into AI with this event from Public Policy Forum: Navigating the Opportunities and Risks of Artificial Intelligence. As the first offering for Western Canada, this is bound to be an interesting and insightful day!

10

❗ AI Policy ❗ Cochrane's recent announcement on AI-generated content aligns with our principles at PICO Portal. We've consistently demonstrated the advantages of AI in systematic reviews, emphasizing transparency and responsible use. Just like Cochrane, we believe in the power of AI to enhance research, but we also prioritize trust and integrity. https://lnkd.in/eCQiyvSB #cochrane #systematicreview #researchtools #searchstrategy #evidencesynthesis #clinicalpracticeguidelines #healthtechnologyassessment #picoportal #ai #HEOR

15

Fascinating read on how alignment/misalignment, especially in language and cultural aspects lead to potential & unfortunate (unintended) biases in LLMs https://buff.ly/3Ax5XQ3 #ai #llm #bias #humancenteredAI

Really interesting blog on economic complexity and Canada's weaknesses and opportunities. The Atlas of Economic Complexity from Harvard's Growth Lab is a great resource to explore this: https://lnkd.in/gyYjR-e5 It includes a ton of data and some really interesting visualizations to explore every country's export basket, its economic complexity, their product space and potential growth opportunities. It recommends a "Parsimonious Industrial Policy Approach" for Canada that addresses bottlenecks and helps jump short distances into related, and more complex, products.

3

2 Comments