Artificial intelligence is a transformative technology with global impact, and enormous potential to improve efficiency and effectiveness in ocean science. Our goal is to accelerate AI adoption by reducing barriers to entry, providing resources for self-directed learning in a context relevant to you, and sharing cutting-edge practices and tools that are being explored throughout the sector.

Join us for a series of FREE workshops that dive into AI, so that you can understand and experience, through hands-on activities, the ocean of opportunities that AI offers. Don’t miss out on shaping the next wave of innovation in ocean science: register now!

Each workshop requires a separate registration. Please note the time zone, and whether your chosen workshop(s) are virtual, hybrid, or in-person only.

Dive Into AI: Ethics (Virtual)

May 13, 10AM-12PM PDT | 1PM-3PM EDT | 2PM-4PM ADT

The emergence of AI is making waves in basically every corner of society, as we figure out what it’s capable of, and how we can harness its potential. But AI technologies are often far from straightforward, accessible, or transparent; and under the surface lives a complex web of issues and considerations that transcend the merely technical – making it no small challenge to navigate AI safely, responsibly, and ethically.

Learn about responsible AI and how you can be intentional with AI models. Topics will cover bias discrimination in machine learning, common challenges in building AI models, and how to find errors within your data.

Dive in with us on May 13 for a virtual conversation and Q&A with our expert panel, as we attempt to unpack and disentangle the ethics of AI and its real-life impacts.

Speakers:

Anne Nguyen, Chief AI Officer (Conseil de l’innnovation du Quebec) || Anne is a champion for innovation guided by values of inclusion, equality, and humanity, whose career has been punctuated by numerous challenges and as many achievements. With a diploma from Harvard Business School in Business Analytics, Anne Nguyen has been in the role of Chief AI Officer with the Conseil de l’innovation de Québec since January 2024.

Frank Rudzicz, Associate Professor of Computer Science (Dalhousie University) || Frank’s work is in machine learning and healthcare, especially in natural language processing, speech recognition, and safe AI. His research has appeared in popular media such as Scientific American, Wired, CBC, the New York Times, and Nature.

Jim Provost, Chief AI Officer (ScarlettNova) || Jim has over two decades of experience in software, automation, and data science.  He received his B.Eng from McMaster and a Masters from Queen’s University. He is a strategic adviser, previous TEDx speaker, father of two, and wishes that he could still play sports as well as when he was younger.

Sounding Out Anomalies in Underwater Acoustics (Hybrid)

May 13, 12:10PM-1PM PDT | 3:10PM-4PM EDT | 4:10PM-5PM ADT

Location: University of Victoria Queenswood Building, 2474 Arbutus Road, Victoria, BC

This session presents a machine learning framework for automated anomaly detection in Ocean Network Canada’s underwater acoustic data, applying self-supervised learning to capture key patterns from unlabeled spectrogram data and significantly reducing the need for labeled datasets. 

Speaker

Spencer Bialek, Machine Learning Specialist (Ocean Networks Canada) || Spencer applies his expertise in data analysis and algorithm development to advance oceanographic research. He holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Victoria, where he honed his skills in handling large datasets and developing machine learning solutions for complex scientific challenges, including mitigating data corruption in astronomical imaging. This strong foundation in data science now fuels his work at ONC, contributing to the analysis and interpretation of vast oceanographic datasets. Spencer is also a dedicated science communicator, passionate about sharing the insights gained from studies of both the oceans and space with diverse audiences.

Hands-On with Machine Learning (In-Person)

May 15, 1PM-4PM ADT

Location: Dalhousie University, Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building, 6100 University Ave, Halifax, NS

Gain a practical introduction to machine learning through guided, beginner-level exercises tailored to be relevant to ocean science applications. This instructor-led session will help you build foundational knowledge and explore how ML tools can support your work with marine research and operations.

Note: Please bring your own laptop!

Space is limited!

Open Licensing for Open Science Research (Virtual)

May 29, 8AM-9AM PDT | 11AM-12PM EDT | 12PM-1PM ADT

Coming Soon!

Previous Workshops

Dive into AI: Emerging Ocean Opportunities

Whether you’re new to AI, curious about what AI is being used for in ocean science, or looking for practical tools to transform your operations, this workshop will offer expert insights and interactive discussions that will help you harness the power of AI responsibly and effectively.

Watch the full workshop series on the CIOOS YouTube channel.

Read about what we heard.

Session One: Introduction to Ocean AI and Building Bridges

This session introduced AI and its role in ocean science, and promoted the upcoming activities of the Building Bridges project.

Session Two: Preparing for AI in Ocean Science

This session provided an overview of the steps to implement AI, its responsible uses through ethics and governance, and the first Building Bridges training course.

Session Three: AI Case Study Discussions

This session acted as a showcase for current AI tools and applications available for ocean science.

Learn more about Building Bridges here.
Contact us at info@cioos.ca if you have questions about Building Bridges or the Workshop sessions.