Dr. Madeleine Ransom, Assistant Professor, Philosophy awarded Canada Research Chair (Tier 2)
Dr. Madeleine Ransom, a philosopher from the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, is the latest addition to UBC Okanagan’s growing cohort of Canada Research Chairs, having been announced today as the university’s Canada Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence, Wellbeing and Ethics (Tier 2).
Her research takes a human-centered approach to AI, and is informed by her background on the nature of human perceptual expertise and bias.
“To understand how to guide the development of these technologies we have to get a grip on the value of human expertise and its role in our individual and collective well-being,” she says. “Then we can think about when and how these technologies ought to be integrated into our lives because we know what is important to us, and so what we stand to lose.”
Asking the right questions is essential to her work, says Dr. Ransom. “When adopting new technologies, we should always ask: how will they serve us as individuals and help us live in a flourishing society? Is AI enhancing our well-being and providing us with opportunities for self-growth? Is it advancing the specialized knowledge and skills of our expert communities? Is it fostering meaningful connection with others? Is it helping to correct biases that have harmful consequences for vulnerable groups? If not, these tools need to be changed.”
The newly announced CRC funding will enable Dr. Ransom to hire more students and support collaboration with scholars from economics, political science, computer science and Indigenous studies to translate and broaden her research outputs into more public-facing work.
“I’m delighted to see Dr. Ransom’s talent and expertise honoured with such a prestigious recognition,” says Dr. Suzie Currie, Vice Principal and Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation. “Canada Research Chairholders are some of the world’s most accomplished and promising minds, contributing to and improving global knowledge, impacting quality of life and helping train the next generation.”
Optimistic about the potential of AI, Dr. Ransom is keen to combine her new CRC appointment with her expertise in the field of humanities to help contribute to the development of policy on how AI should be implemented and regulated. She cautions for a careful approach, however, stressing the crucial role of interdisciplinary experts in shaping system design.
“We have a tremendous opportunity to develop technologies that enhance well-being, at both the individual and collective level, and the humanities have an important role to play in guiding this development.”
In addition to her individual research, Dr. Ransom is also a member of the Digital Transparency Research Excellence Cluster at UBC, where she is leading a project on trust and transparency in AI with a team of computer scientists, psychologists, political scientists and archival scientists.