Events

Job Talk: Blair Attard-Frost

Tuesday, April 22, 2025 |  1:30 to 3:00 p.m. MDT

Tory 12-15

Talk title: Power, Participation, and Limitations in the Governance of Artificial Intelligence

Talk abstract: The effective governance of artificial intelligence (AI) has become a strategic imperative for government and industry. However, AI governance practices – such as policymaking, regulation, investment, and standards development – are frequently failing to prevent AI systems from harming people and the environment. Why is AI governance so often ineffective at preventing AI systems from causing harm? Drawing on data from three studies of AI governance practices in Canada and globally, this talk will show that power imbalances and exclusionary policymaking norms are limiting the effectiveness of AI governance. Vulnerable and marginalized communities are often excluded from AI governance, lacking the power and resources needed to meaningfully participate in large-scale policymaking processes led by government and industry. This talk provides an action plan for addressing those challenges: future studies and practices of AI governance must take a sharper focus on reducing barriers to participation, and on smaller-scale, community-led approaches to developing AI governance systems from the bottom up.

Bio: Blair Attard-Frost is a final-year PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information. Her recent research applies trans and feminist theory to address challenges of power, participation, and justice in the governance of artificial intelligence. Her research appears in scholarly journals such as First Monday, Government Information Quarterly, AI and Ethics, Service Science, and International Journal of Information Management. With knowledge from 10 years of experience working across academia, government, and industry, Blair teaches students, professionals, executives, public servants, and communities about the ethics and governance of AI. Her insights on AI governance appear in Canadian and international media outlets such as The Globe and Mail, CBC News, and Tech Policy Press.