Event Background

Canada and the United States are heavily investing in AI, framing it as central to economic growth, national security, and a modern public service. Yet fundamental questions remain: What vision is guiding AI governance? Who benefits—and who bears the risks and costs?

This event launches Evidence for Democracy’s seminal report, From Principles to Practice: A Comparative Analysis of AI Governance in Canada and the United States, which critically assesses both countries’ approaches to AI governance: where the two countries’ strategies align, where they differ, and what remains missing. 

Join Evidence for Democracy for a dynamic panel discussion on public trust in AI, which brings together panel experts in AI governance, science policy, and technology to explore:

• whether current strategies offer a coherent long-term vision beyond adoption, competitiveness, and infrastructure growth; 
• how governments should account for the energy, water, land, and community impacts of AI infrastructure; 
• whether existing policies adequately protect human rights, privacy, and fairness; 
• what effective leadership, independent oversight, and accountability should look like; and
• how Canada and the United States can pursue innovation while building public trust and delivering genuine public value.

Together, the speakers will consider what it would take to move from broad principles and ambitious promises toward AI governance that is transparent, sustainable, democratic, and accountable to the public.

Target Audience 

Academics, researchers, policymakers, parliamentarians, staffers, students, advocacy groups, and members of the public. 

Location

Online via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2eHYbn8iSSG2MARmKn0G7w 

When? 

• Wednesday, Sep 2, 2026 from 12-1pm EST.

Objectives

• Present the report’s key findings on AI governance in Canada and the United States.
• Compare the priorities, leadership and long-term vision shaping each country’s AI strategy.
• Identify major gaps in governance, transparency, oversight and accountability.
• Examine AI’s human, environmental, and democratic impacts.
• Highlight practical priorities for stronger, evidence-informed AI policy in the public interest.

Panelists

Dr. Pablo Ortiz is the Director of Innovation and Collaboration within the Office of Science and Innovation at Union of Concerned Scientists. He previously served as Senior Climate and Water Scientist for the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. In his current position, he is responsible for removing barriers to innovation and expanding collaborations within the organization and with external partners. He focuses on fostering a culture of innovation, facilitating the development and implementation of new ideas to enhance the organization’s mission impact, and strengthening scientific engagement. His expertise spans multiple areas, including climate change, environmental justice, science communication and education, partnership building and community-based research and outreach.

Before joining UCS, Dr. Ortiz earned a degree in environmental engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) in Mexico. After working for a couple of years in his home country he came to the United States to study for his Ph.D. in hydrology and water resources management at the Water Management Lab at the University of California, Davis. During his Ph.D. he spent two summers as a Research Assistant in Vienna at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, where he researched how to balance human and environmental water allocation without affecting current and future urban, agriculture, and recreational water uses—or flood risks.

Dr. Ortiz is passionate about science communication and he has given presentations, and interviews for new articles, radio, and television in English and Spanish. He has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, ABC News, CNN, The Guardian, and Radio Bilingue, among other outlets.

Dr Heidi Tworek is a Canada Research Chair and Professor of History and Public Policy  at the University of British Columbia, as well as the Director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions.  She is also a Senior Fellow at the

 Centre for International Governance Innovation, and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Society of Canada’s New College of Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Her research explores the intersections of media, democracy, and international relations, with a focus on how information ecosystems shape governance and public trust. Dr. Tworek frequently advises governments and international organizations on digital policy and democratic resilience.

Dr. Sheng Lun Christine Cao is an Assistant Professor in Sustainable Systems Engineering and Electrical and Software Engineering at the University of Calgary, and the director of the Alignment and Decision-making for Equitable Energy and Environmental Policy and Transition (AD3PT) Lab. Prior to her appointment, she obtained her PhD in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University. Her research explores how we can align long-term energy system planning, policy, and transition with the complexities of human behaviour, technology shifts, and economic dynamics. Christine draws from an interdisciplinary set of methods in her research, including machine learning, GIS, econometrics, energy system modeling, behavioral science, and policy analysis. Her research informs policy-level decision-making for a more equitable and just energy future.