Best AI4Society Podcasts (2025)

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AI4Society Dialogues, S2E7 - Social robots and assistive technologies 50:18

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3+ y ago50:18

50:18

As advances are made in artificial intelligence, questions are being raised about how we should relate to AI, especially when it’s embodied intelligence. In other words - how will we relate to robots? Dr. Adriana Ríos Rincón is a researcher who uses robots in her work with children. We talk about her thoughts on artificial intelligence, the importa…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S2E6 - Envisioning medical scan data as the 21st century stethoscope 35:08

3+ y ago35:08

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A stethoscope is a functional device, used to examine a patient...but it’s also become an enduring symbol for the use of technology in patient care. Yet...when it comes to advances in technology - what might a new, 21st century stethoscope look like? Dr. Jacob Jaremko believes that with AI enabled technology, we can transform medical imaging at the…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S2E3 - Data, Virtual Care and Precision Health 49:29

3+ y ago49:29

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Advances in digital innovation, including artificial intelligence, are rapidly changing the face of both healthcare research and the delivery of care. In his work as a clinician, professor and researcher, Dr. Daniel Baumgart is working to advance precision medicine on all of these fronts. We talk about his early interest in computers, why he chose …

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AI4Society Dialogues, S2E4 - Predicting cancer to drive early interventions 35:57

3+ y ago35:57

35:57

What if we had better ways to predict cancer and a tailored plan to intervene early in the process? Dr. Adam Kinnaird is conducting leading edge research in the area of prostate cancer, which affects 1 in 7 men in Canada throughout their life. We talk about his research into early interventions in cancer, why prostate cancer is so hard to diagnose,…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S2E5 - Advances in computer vision supporting diabetes research 42:17

3+ y ago42:17

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Computer Vision is a field within artificial intelligence that is having significant impacts in medicine. Automated analysis of medical scan images can provide rich sources of insight and machine learning techniques to process this data open up a realm of possibilities for both researchers and clinicians. Dr. Nilanjan Ray is a leading researcher in…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S2E8 - Machine learning and mental health 36:45

3+ y ago36:45

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According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, in any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness and by age 40, about 50% of the population will have or have had a mental illness. How might advances in precision health change how we address mental health problems? Dr. Bo “Cloud” Cao resea…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S2E9 - Epidemiological approaches in women’s health data 39:05

3+ y ago39:05

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Women are disproportionately affected by heart failure after heart attacks and underrepresented in clinical trials. This lack of medical data about women hinders our ability to really understand the impacts some medications have on women. Dr. Padma Kaul is working to change this.  We talk about her eclectic background that led to her work in epidem…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S2E10 - Knowing our virtual selves 38:17

3+ y ago38:17

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Some artists work with clay, or paint, but Dr. Marilène Oliver works with a digitized version of the human body. Her work explores the zeros and ones that we become when WE are rendered into data. Dr. Marilène Oliver is Assistant Professor of Visual Art at the University of Alberta. Her work is at the crossroads of new digital technologies, traditi…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S2E1 - Reinventing rehabilitation medical devices 47:55

3+ y ago47:55

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Sometimes, the most meaningful advances in technology are about enabling simple things which can have big impacts for a patient's quality of life. That’s what Dr. Jana Rieger has done. She’s invented a smart-enabled health tech device called Mobili-T that helps patients with something most of us probably take for granted - the ability to swallow. W…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S2E2 - Understanding computer “brains” and human brains 41:30

3+ y ago41:30

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When we think about how artificial intelligence works, we often make comparisons to the human brain. Terms like neural networks seem to cement this connection. How much do computer models and the human brain have in common, especially when it comes to processing language? Dr. Alona Fyshe is a computer scientist with research interests that combine …

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AI4Society Dialogues, S1E10 - Reinforcement learning and the future of AI 40:22

4y ago40:22

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Can we teach AI to learn from it’s own experiences? That’s the premise behind reinforcement learning. Dr. Rich Sutton in a University of Alberta Professor in computer science and one of the leading figures in AI research today. We talk about the early days of his career, why he chose to make the University of Alberta his academic home, the benefits…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S1E9 - Networked Data: Gender, Power and Relationships 1:02:55

4y ago1:02:55

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How can we use the tools of big data, networks and an understanding of our digital infrastructure to shed light on power relationships and inequities? In her work as a digital humanities scholar, Dr. Deb Verhoeven is enlisting machine learning to redress the persistent domination of power elites. Her unique approaches include using criminal network…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S1E8 - Encoding the law: technology’s impact on institutional decision making 48:58

4y ago48:58

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Increasingly, automated systems are being used to aid in the delivery of important social service programs. Dr. Jennifer Raso’s work in the area of administrative law focuses on the relationship of human and non-human collaboration on institutional decision making and the resulting legal and ethical outcomes. We talk about the challenges in deliver…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S1E7 - Relating to robots 33:05

4y ago33:05

33:05

How people respond to artificial intelligence depends on their perceptions of whether or not AI is to be trusted, the context in which they encounter AI and, in the case of robots, how the AI looks. Dr. Noah Castelo, a behavioural scientist whose expertise and research into psychology and consumer behaviour are providing deeper insights into the qu…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S1E6 - Privacy, Ethics and AI 59:33

4y ago59:33

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The use of artificial intelligence across many high risk domains is raising many ethical questions. This includes issues around privacy and biases in data as well as questions about equity and inclusion. Dr. Nidhi Hegde is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta whose work is helping to drive new approaches in differential privacy. We t…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S1E5 - Advancing ethnomusicology with AI 45:42

4y ago45:42

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Music and sound are fundamental aspects of how we interact with the environment and play an important role in shaping culture. Dr. Michael Frishkopf is an ethnomusicologist who is deploying the power of AI to formulate and test new hypotheses about the relationship between music and culture, speech and individuality. In this wide ranging conversati…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S1E4 - Genetics, chatbots and the future of medicine 41:50

4+ y ago41:50

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Artificial intelligence is having significant impacts on advancing medical research. Dr. Francois Bolduc is a pediatric neurologist, with deep expertise in understanding the genetic basis of memory and cognition. As both a clinician and researcher, Dr. Bolduc is using artificial intelligence to advance his research as well as serve patients. We tal…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S1E3 - Digital technology: the next killer app for education 59:35

4+ y ago59:35

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When we think about technology and education, we often think about the ways in which we learn through technology, but we may not see how technologies shape education itself. Dr. Cathy Adams has been working at the intersection of education and technology, investigating how digital technologies shape knowledge practices. We reflect on the past, and …

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AI4Society Dialogues, S1E2 - Game changing AI research 54:14

4+ y ago54:14

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As constructed environments with clear parameters, games are an ideal proving ground for artificial intelligence research. Dr. Michael Bowling is equally passionate about games and AI. From his early days of robot soccer, to building an AI program and winning the World Championship of Poker (twice!) to his current research into theory of mind influ…

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AI4Society Dialogues, S1E1 - Building an AI research powerhouse at the University of Alberta 55:56

4+ y ago55:56

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How did the University of Alberta become a global leader in AI research? Dr. Jonathan Schaffer shares his personal account of how a community of like minded individuals, early government support and world record setting research set the stage for Alberta to play a leading role in AI research today. We talk about his “ta da” moment in solving the ga…

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AI4Society Dialogues, Trailer 1:17

4+ y ago1:17

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AI4Society Dialogues is a new podcast that takes you behind the scenes to meet some of the talented researchers who are constructing and using AI in ways that will shape our world. This trailer provides a quick overview of our first three episodes. Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer kicks off the series by taking us back to the early days of the University of …