Montreal Declaration for Responsible AI Symposium – University of Montreal

On Wednesday, February 19 and Thursday, February 20, 2020, Professor Catherine Regis of the University of Montreal visited Osaka University to hold a symposium regarding the Montreal Declaration. This visit by Prof. Regis was realized as a follow up to the U7+ (U7 Alliance of World Universities) Summit held in Paris in 2019, which was attended by President NISHIO Shojiro and Executive Vice President KAWAHARA Genta of Osaka University.

To start things off, on Wednesday, February 19, Prof. Regis and Institute for Datability Science Professor KISHIMOTO Atsuo exchanged their opinions in order to draw up a report to be submitted to the U7+ Summit to be held in June of 2020 at Northwestern University, USA.

On Thursday, February 20, Prof. Regis, President Nishio, Executive Vice President Kawahara, and Professor ISHIKAWA Mayumi (Executive Assistant to the President) held a meeting at the President’s Office. At the meeting, President Nishio introduced the ELSI Center, to be established by Osaka University in April 2020, which will serve as a comprehensive research hub regarding ethical, legal, and social issues in development of new technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI).

At the symposium, which began with an opening greeting from Executive Vice President Kawahara, Prof. Regis gave an overview of The Montreal Declaration for Responsible AI, speaking about its goals and its innovativeness, as well as ethics guidelines for AI development, exchanging opinions with those in attendance from Osaka University.

After her lecture, responding to the explanations about AI-related activities at OU by Prof. KAWASAKI Ryo (Graduate School of Medicine) and Prof. Beverly Anne Yamamoto (Graduate School of Human Sciences), Prof. Regis introduced the AT-related center at her university, having a long talk about future research exchange.

From left: Professor Ishikawa (Executive Assistant to the President), Professor Regis, President Nishio, Associate Vice President Kawahara (at the President’s Office)

Symposium

Professor Regis

Q&A session