RCI | English : Montreal • Centre of the A.I. World RCI | English

From its late start in the 1980s through the AI winter and the resurgence of the industry in the 2010s, artificial intelligence has long been part of Canadian history.



Today, the country is among the world leaders in AI research, but how did it get to this point? What has made Canada, and Montreal in particular, a renowned place for research in this field?







Duration: 20 minutes and 35 seconds



https://www.rcinet.ca/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/02/AI-Ep1_Final.mp3







Music: APM Music / With files from CBC Archives.

Research and continued public funding are the main reasons behind the development of AI in Quebec's largest city and in Canada more broadly. 



The country has never stopped believing in its researchers, be they Canadian or from abroad, and has even achieved a world first in terms of investment in artificial intelligence.



These investments have led to the creation of major hubs across the country. Montreal being one of them, several institutes and clusters have been created in the city.



It is all this research that we will explore in this episode to help us understand the singular character of Montreal.







Duration: 26 Minutes 57 seconds



https://www.rcinet.ca/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/02/AI-Ep2_Final.mp3







Music: APM Music / With files from CIFAR, Montreal International, Mila.

Google, Facebook, Microsoft, DeepMind, Samsung... They all chose Montreal to open their AI labs.



But why did these companies decide to invest in Quebec's largest city? What drew them there?



In this episode, we will look at the different aspects of Montreal that make this city unique.







Duration: 24 minutes 28 seconds



https://www.rcinet.ca/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/02/AI-Ep-3_Final.mp3







Music: APM Music / With files from Techstars.

AI ethics are a major part of Montreal's DNA.



The city has set important milestones in global advances in this field.



Many see Canadians as an example of ethics when it comes to AI.



But what exactly is this AI ethics? And why is it so important?



What has made Montreal so popular in this field?







Duration : 26 minutes 55 seconds



https://www.rcinet.ca/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/02/Ep.-4_Final.mp3







Music : APM / With files from Unesco, Ritm1.

Some researchers, such as Yves Gingras, are quite skeptical about the place of Montreal in the global AI landscape. 



In his study, Professor Gingras has revealed many interesting and sometimes disturbing aspects of the Montreal ecosystem. 



We confronted his point of view with those of various researchers and industry players interviewed previously. 



In this last episode, we will take a closer look at this divergence of views and try to answer our initial question: Is Montreal truly the centre of the AI world?







Duration : 38 minutes 27 seconds.



https://www.rcinet.ca/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/02/AI-EP-5.4.mp3



Music : APM