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AI Strategy
As the AI revolution charges on, SFU needs to determine how we can responsibly leverage and utilize the use of AI for the greater good of education, research, and society.
SFU's AI committee
To begin this work, an AI strategy committee was formed in the summer of 2024, chaired by Dugan O'Neil, Vice President of Research & Innovation. The committee was created to look at how the university can explore the opportunities and impacts of AI at SFU in four key areas with the following AI strategy core committee members:
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Learning and Teaching
Core committee member
Paul Kingsbury, Associate Vice President, Learning and Teaching, pro tem
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Research
work
Operations
Core committee member
Brian Stewart, Chief Information Officer, IT Services
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External Engagement
Core committee members
Seychelle Cushing, Executive Director, SFU’s Partnerships Hub
Aftab Erfan, Executive Director of the SFU Centre for Dialogue
The committee also includes Mark Jordan representing the library, Fred Popowich representing the Big Data Hub, Angela Wilson from Communications and Marketing and Fabiana Rassier, Director, Special Initiatives, Office of the Vice President, Research & Innovation.
Guiding principles for embarking on this work
- AI-based tools are just that - tools. Learning to how to use these new tools to be a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future, should be our priority.
- Learning how to use AI-based tools requires understanding how these tools pose challenges, opportunities, and questions.
- AI-based tools are changing (and improving) rapidly. An agile and coordinated approach is needed to effectively integrate these tools into our work.
- There are risks associated (e.g., academic integrity, privacy and security, intellectual property rights, reliability, inequities). Understanding and using the tools ourselves will help us manage those risks.
It will also be a priority to keep these four areas connected to the university’s What's Next strategy and the Academic Plan to ensure that both knowledge-sharing and cost-sharing occurs.
A Leading University in AI
#1
AI university in B.C.*
100+
Researchers focused on AI solutions
96%
of students find employment
Within 6 months of graduating from our Masters of Science in Big Data and in Visual Computing--the first programs of their kind in Canada
8
Faculties engaged in AI research
Goals for the AI strategy
- Faculty and staff have the training and resources they need to provide high-quality education and research in the AI-enabled era;
- Students have the training and resources they need to use AI tools wisely, and in compliance with SFU rules;
- SFU takes advantage of new tools to enhance the student experience and operational/administration performance;
- Raise the profile of the university through AI thought leadership;
- Establish oversight for the introduction of AI enabled technologies in research, learning, and teaching and operations, as well as governance structures to guide decisions and policy amendments; and
- Evaluate revenue opportunities related to provision of services to external partners, or through increasing demand for existing education or training programs, or through creation of new education or training programs.
Get engaged
We appreciate your input, thoughts and ideas as we work towards an AI strategy for SFU. Each of the four groups will be engaging with students, faculty, and staff to join townhalls or other events to explore and discuss the opportunities and challenges surrounding AI and how best to harness this technology for the benefit of all. Opportunities to participate will be posted here as details are confirmed.
*AIRankings, 2024