Measures need to be taken to ensure that data processed by AI isn’t acquiring unconscious biases, racial or gender preferences, and idiosyncrasies that could lead to negative experiences. As the Diversity and Inclusion lead at Microsoft Canada, this is especially important to me as the work environment, coupled with the technology we’re using, needs to be held to a high standard.

Building AI upon an Ethical Foundation

Because AI brings tremendous value to people and organizations, the opportunities are endless. At Microsoft, we believe it’s important to build a framework to help ensure the AI is ethical and held accountable for our diverse world. These four principles help guide that strategy:

• Fairness – maximize efficiencies without destroying dignity
• Accountability – must have algorithmic accountability
• Transparency – must be transparent
• Ethics – must assist humanity and be designed for intelligent privacy

Microsoft is making it easier than ever to get started with AI by making it accessible to everyone and enabling new ways to solve challenges. We recently launched AI for accessibility, a program to amplify human capability and empower over 1+ billion people living with disabilities. With 70% of disabilities being invisible to the eye, it’s extremely important to be mindful of how AI is used for all, in a moral way.

At Microsoft, we believe that building ethics into the core foundation of AI allows for better decision making, as it allows the AI to run on data that reflects the diversity of its users. Organizations working to include and leverage the entire workforce to participate in AI initiatives can optimize their maximum potential by allowing the technology to embody and advance the interests of the company, its staff and its consumer base.

The importance of AI Transparency

Everyone should have access to information that will enable them to understand and evaluate the operation and fairness of AI systems that may affect them in important ways. Some examples might include AI systems that affect legal rights like insurance or employment. Employees must also trust that implementing AI will augment and/or enhance the work environment, not replace individual contributors.

Primary elements of the design, operation and functioning of AI systems should be transparent to the public. This is why Microsoft collaborates with industry, policy makers and consumer advocates to share best practices and develop innovative technologies to help enhance transparency. Including a diverse group of people into the conversation allows us to achieve more visibility and perspective and enhance the public’s trust in AI.

Technology and Innovation are led by Diversity and Inclusion

AI is built upon data fed to it by humans, so it’s only as effective as the data set upon which it is trained. Because AI systems will perform tasks that were exclusively performed by humans, it’s critical to design those systems in a manner that reflects the diversity of the societies in which they operate. At Microsoft, maximizing the contribution of every individual allows us to infuse diverse thought as a natural part of the way we innovate.

The integration of AI into your workplace is inevitable. Be open to learning how to interact with it by starting small, and ensure you fully understand the data to help set you up for success.

Learn more about the Microsoft approach to AI and click here to read how we are helping companies amplify human ingenuity with AI.

The post Achieving Empathetic Artificial Intelligence appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - Canada.

Today, at Microsoft’s Future Now event in Toronto we will be talking about how AI advances are driving breakthroughs which are offering truly life-changing possibilities. Take for example the Seeing AI app, an app derived from a hackathon and built by a team of Microsoft interns in Vancouver that leverages AI to assist the visually impaired with a variety of different tasks. Through the app, users can scan their surroundings to recognize text, objects, product barcodes and even people to provide various audio descriptions. The visually impaired can now read a handwritten Holiday card from a friend, grocery shop without assistance or choose their meal from a standard menu – routine tasks that you and I probably take for granted each day.

Innovations in cognitive computing inspire ideas. Similar to other technological revolutions, the growth of AI also raises some important considerations: How do we ensure that AI is designed and used responsibly? How will AI impact employment and jobs? And, how can we ensure Canada truly capitalizes on this opportunity?

It is at this early stage in our AI journey that we need to drive the conversation and collaboration among technologists, government, academics, researchers and business leaders to ensure these questions are addressed head on.

At Microsoft, we participate in a number of organizations alongside industry leaders, academics, nonprofits and specialists to develop AI best practices, advance public awareness and provide an open platform for discussion. We also have developed the Fairness, Accountability, Transparency and Ethics in AI (FATE) program that is led by a group of Microsoft researchers who work to understand the complex social implications of AI. The better we understand these issues, the better served the world will be.

And then comes the question of employment. While there is understandable concern about whether AI and automation will lead to workforce displacement at some future point, we believe technological change represents a huge opportunity for professionals. If you think about the impact of technology on jobs over the last 250 years, we have seen the nature of work shift, the creation of new jobs, the elimination of existing jobs and the evolution of job tasks and content. McKinsey recently shared insights on this very topic in their ‘Technology, jobs and the future of work’ report. The evolution of the workforce will certainly continue, but one thing is clear: companies – and countries – that embrace these changes, rapidly and effectively, will fare best. New jobs and economic growth will come to those who embrace technology, not those who resist it.

So how can Canada capitalize on this opportunity? We are already seeing some incredible homegrown companies evolve that are powered by the Microsoft Cloud. For example, InDro Robotics, a company  located on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, is leveraging AI technology to revolutionize search and rescue capabilities. Search drones can now scan waterways for signs of peril, like a lifejacket or a capsized boat, and alert human searchers to the pinpointed location – saving valuable time when lives are at stake and reducing the risk for search teams in the process.

TD Bank is also on the forefront of technology transformation and is leveraging data and advanced analytics to revolutionize the digital experience for its customers. TD generates close to 100 million digital records daily, and has more than 12 million digitally active customers. TD knew early on that to innovate quickly it required a flexible platform that harnessed customer data and delivered actionable insights. With Microsoft Azure and data platform services to help provide the power and intelligent capabilities TD was in search of, the financial institution continues to deliver engaging and valuable experiences that meet and exceed its customers’ expectations.

AI is also changing the way we do business. The retail industry is undergoing a massive disruption in Canada and Toronto-based Rubikloud uses AI and machine learning to change the way retailers look at mass promotional planning to maximize customer lifetime value. With millions of factors influencing these types of decisions, we are working with Rubikloud to provide a scalable means for computations and are helping them change the way global enterprise retailers grow their business.

These are just a few examples of the amazing work that is starting to blossom in Canada and this is just the beginning. AI is no longer a concept of future-based science fiction; AI is being utilized today across a wide range of industries.  Transformation requires will and skill.  There is a lot of work ahead of us with tremendous benefits – the reward for our efforts. In order for Canada to continue to play a leading role in amplifying human ingenuity with AI, we must continue to develop strong IT talent, support local homegrown Canadian companies and strengthen partnerships with government.   With collaboration and stewardship, I believe that Canada will not only succeed in the AI era, we will play a leading role in the digital world.

Click here to learn more about how  Microsoft is helping companies amplify human ingenuity with AI.

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At the same time, a different type of innovation is making its mark on the other side of Canada, in Calgary. Less theoretical, more practical, but no less impactful, this innovation is being driven by the companies that provide the infrastructure that power our homes, create and distribute our energy and literally keep the lights on for Canadians across the country. The appetite and abundance of interest in this type of innovation was clearly on show at our recent packed house event, the #FutureOfOperations in Calgary.

This type of innovation is often anchored around operational optimization – how do you take a massively complex system, like a renewable energy facility for example, and drive incremental improvements across every aspect of that operation. The complexities are significant, across physical hardware and assets, people and staff, and technology infrastructure. This requires a new approach to innovation, as Mark Speaker landed at the event – you need to have an honest conversation – are you really setting yourself up for innovation vs. simply integrating the latest shiny objects technology wise, without investing in the cultural foundations required for sustained innovation.

TransAlta figured this out a while ago – you need to pair technology innovation with an innate sense of cultural innovation and ensure these are working in tandem to really make these changes stick and have impact on your business, and we were fortunate to hear first hand from Nipa Chakravarti Chief Transformation Office at TransAlta on some of the lessons they have learned along the way.

Transformation success really depends on the alignment of the people and culture in an organization, as well as adopting a smart approach to managing agility and risk. You need to experiment, but you also need to measure your experiments and ensure you are learning from every single failure as well as success. TransAlta runs an extrordinarily complex type of business, and innovation is both critical and a challenge in that environment of complexity – but by landing a people first transformation approach they have managed to drive something unique in terms of the pace and effectiveness of transformation they are undergoing.

Rockwell Automation took the stage next, showing their own of their own innovation. Rockwell offers a platform, ConnectedProduction, which ties together end to end the production chain for Oil and Gas organizations allowing companies to ensure their data pathways are secure, trustworthy and most importantly actionable.

Next we had a different type of innovation from BGC Engineering. BGC provides specialized engineering and geoscience services for all phases of projects: from pre-feasibility and design, to construction, operation and closure. Their practice, founded on an appreciation for the impacts of geology on engineered structures, is capable of addressing a broad spectrum of engineering and environmental issues related to development in challenging terrain. In particular, they have a unique and industry leading competency on leveraging mixed reality, in particular the Microsoft Hololens to bring their considerable expertise in earth sciences to life in a truly insightful fashion.

The themes of innovation continued as we closed the day with a great panel featuring T4G, Rockwell , BGC and Microsoft, and a great closing presentation from Desmond Nair with a focus on how to Predict, Prepare and Perform as you determine the best way to optimize to drive transformation across your operations.

In closing – innovation in Calgary is clearly moving ahead in its own typically pragmatic fashion – and it was phenomenal to see the energy and excitement today on show at the #FutureOfOperations!

For more information on this topic, I encourage you to visit our Future of Operations: Digital Event Series or download Connected Field Solutions Whitepaper.

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Greg Verdino at Innovation Nation

On Friday, January 27^th, we hosted the Innovation Nation Summit at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) in Toronto. The Summit brought together business leaders to discuss Canada’s changing economy and how businesses can harness the power of their data in order to succeed in a rapidly transforming world.

Among those who joined us was Greg Verdino, Digital Transformation Expert and Futurist. I had the chance to speak to Greg about digital transformation and how Canadian businesses can use technology to disrupt and stay ahead. Here’s what he told me:

It’s clear that technology has changed the way we do business across industries. Can you explain the difference between “disruption” and “transformation” when it comes to technology?

Digital change will happen with or without you, so for companies, it’s all a matter of where that change originates. When change happens to your company because of digital challenges coming from the outside, you are in the process of being disrupted. On the other hand, when change happens at your company because of deliberate decisions your own team is making and strategic actions your people are taking, you are pursuing your own digital transformation.

Many companies have spent years or even decades building their business processes and operations. How would you suggest they manage the changes ahead?

Business leaders need to rethink their model. Identify the areas of your business that are most vulnerable to disruption, and prioritize those areas in your transformation plan. For some companies, this might be a question of customer experience. For others, perhaps it’s a matter of what products you provide and how you deliver them. No established business can start from scratch, change everything all at once, or let go of the positive points that give them a competitive advantage. But a sound digital transformation plan must jettison the dead weight, put in place an achievable roadmap for incremental improvements and radical innovation and lead the organization to a different, better future.

Ask yourself what your company would look like if their very first customer were a digital native? What would she expect? How would you meet those expectations? This simple exercise forces leaders to adopt a new mindset and see their business in a new and different way, that can shine a light not only on how they might be disrupted but how they could leapfrog disruption by acting on a clear vision for the future of the business.

For many businesses, digital transformation will sound like boiling the ocean. Where should they begin?

The most common question I get is probably, “Where should we start?” My answer is always, “With strategy.” That sounds contradictory, but I think many leaders think digital transformation starts with technology, requires them to make a key hire, or begins with a specific project or some pre-defined first step in a linear process. But any of these things is unlikely to move the business in the right direction, until they’re clear on where they’re trying to go.

Let’s shift gears: experts have been talking about “big data” for almost a decade. How can businesses harness the power of data to compete and stay ahead?

I think that big data can become something of a Holy Grail for some business leaders: We could make smarter decisions, if only we had more data. Approached the wrong way, these companies risk death by analytics – which isn’t what anyone intends…

There is incredible power in data and analytics, but some of the biggest insights can come from the information you already have at your fingertips, if you know what you’re looking for. What matters most is not how much data you have, but how you use your data. Democratize data in your organization so that everyone across all areas of the business can use it to make intelligent decisions – but also recognize that data is a means to an end, and not the end in itself.

How can cloud based CRM tools like Dynamics 365 help businesses make sense of their own data?

Companies are moving critical applications to the cloud because the cloud provides better, more seamless access to those applications, improves employees’ ability to connect, share and collaborate, and allows the entire business to operate more efficiently. And applications that democratize the business’s data – makes it accessible and understandable to individuals across all areas of the business, so that they can make smarter choices – can increase effectiveness, agility and performance.

Click here to find out more about how to harness the power and thrive in a digital world!

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Fortunately, technology has emerged as an enabler of this transformation that HR is driving in organizational culture. As a platform for tools, the Microsoft cloud has profound implications for parsing data and optimizing operations, but at the most basic level, Azure offers five critical qualities:

Accessibility: the service is accessible from anywhere, anytime.  With Azure operating out of 38 regions around the world, including two data centers in Canada alone, it provides an extensive global infrastructure to support your organization across the globe.  Additionally, it allows employees and managers real-time access to the appropriate HR data and tools which empower them to perform more HR self-service tasks.

Agility: you can scale up automatically through Azure’s platform as a service (PaaS), adjusting the number of servers used to meet the current load.  This quality becomes incredibly helpful when administering important processes like performance management where a high volume of employees need access in the same time frame.

Security: in HR, security of personally identifiable information or PII is critical to maintaining compliance to local laws and credibility with an organization’s employees.  Azure offers multi-factor authentication for a more secure sign-on process.

Mobility: Azure App Services offer full-featured support for cross-platform and native apps for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac.  With an increasingly multigenerational and diverse workforce, mobility and preference can make a difference in your retention strategy for key talent.

Cost-Effectiveness: Using software as a service (Saas), you can use existing software built from within or offered through third parties and create a robust service that is seamless for the user and cost-effective for the company.

What does this all mean?

Ultimately, we’re providing a way to arm your HR teams with the most advanced technology so you can watch your organization—and its people—thrive and achieve more. Learn more about what Microsoft Azure can do for you.

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Manufacturing, Reimagined 

In the past, manufacturing and operations were linear processes. The focus was on the customer at the end of the sales cycle. Lacking was the ability to center the entire manufacturing process around the customer and support an ongoing relationship.

Today, for the first time in many decades, technology has outpaced the evolution of business processes. Though smart products have existed for some time, it was difficult to realize their business potential. Now, due to the proliferation of the cloud and big data, continually connected smart products can deliver real value.

Read the whitepaper

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