Toronto, Ontario – With the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping the business landscape, WatSPEED recently convened sessions aimed at educating professionals on the current and future horizons of generative AI at Big Data and AI Toronto.

The event drew a diverse audience of industry leaders, tech enthusiasts, and innovation seekers, providing a unique platform to delve into recent advancements in AI and its revolutionary applications across every industry.

Led by Waterloo AI and technology experts, Jimmy Lin, chair of the Cheriton School of Computer Science and co-director of Waterloo.AI, and Joël Blit, chair of the Council on Innovation Policy and senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance and Innovation, WatSPEED’s main stage presentation at the event shed light on the expansive landscape of AI, emphasizing the unprecedented growth of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT. As part of the presentation, Lin and Blit explored how advanced AI is not only propelling businesses forward but also unlocking its transformational potential.

Jimmy Lin addressing a crowd at Big Data and AI Toronto

Jimmy Lin discusses the power of generative AI for a large crowd at Big Data and AI Toronto.

WatSPEED’s workshop on the concept of generative AI for good, delivered by Yuhao Chen, research assistant professor in Systems Design Engineering at Waterloo, was another highlight. As part of the workshop, Chen provided attendees with insights into how generative AI can be harnessed for positive change, from conceptualization to practical implementation.

“Generative AI is great for boosting your creativity, your productivity, and for more information you can ask ChatGPT, but there are still many issues with generative AI, including copyright issues, biased generated results, as well as being misused in various ways,” said Chen, as he spoke about the initiatives surrounding generative AI for good. “Through this initiative, we can use generative AI to detect copyright issues, develop methods with controllable and consistent generation, as well as promote good use of generative AI in various applications.”

Yuhao Chen summarizes using generative AI for good

Yuhao Chen summarizes the problems and opportunities with current generative AI technologies, emphasizing strategies for the use of generative AI for good.

Beyond both sessions, WatSPEED’s booth attracted attendees, offering firsthand encounters with robots and opportunities to gain insight into various professional and executive education opportunities.  

WatSPEED staff member talking to a man at a booth

WatSPEED's Jessica Murdoch chats with a Big Data and AI attendee about professional and executive education opportunities.

As the AI revolution in today’s business landscape continues its course, WatSPEED is well-positioned to be a guiding force, enabling individuals and organizations to harness the transformative power of AI and stay ahead of the curve in our new world of work. Their presence at Big Data and AI Toronto was instrumental in providing attendees with profound insights into the potential of generative AI, equipping them with essential knowledge required to thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.