AI conferences are pivotal spaces for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and shaping the trajectory of research, practice, and education. This paper presents preliminary findings from an analysis of AI conference mission statements, investigating how their stated goals affect who is welcomed into AI conversations. We find that many mission statements reflect assumptions that may unintentionally narrow participation and reinforce disciplinary and institutional silos. This limits engagement from a broad range of contributors—including educators, students, working professionals, and even younger users —who are essential to a thriving AI ecosystem. We advocate for clearer framing that supports democratizing and demystifying AI. By broadening participation and intentionally fostering cross-sector and interdisciplinary connections, AI conferences can help unlock more innovation.
Category: Tammy Mackenzie, M.B.A.
Tammy Mackenzie
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Presenting to the United Nations
Our Director, Tammy Mackenzie, was honoured to present our recommendations to the United Nations Committee on the Formation of a Scientific Panel on AI. We recommended that the committee include civil society in these works and that meetings should be held in countries where safe travel can be guaranteed for delegates. You can consult our recommendations here.
See the PDF of the Consultation here: Google Drive
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Literacy Nova Scotia: AI Literacy
Catch the exclusive recording of Tammy Mackenzie’s keynote speech from this year’s Spring Dinner and Auction for Literacy, presented by Lockheed Martin Canada. As the Executive Director and co-founder of the Aula Fellowship, a think tank that focuses on applied artificial intelligence (AI), ethics, and system transitions, Tammy shares her expertise on the rapidly evolving field of AI.
In this thought-provoking presentation, Tammy dives deep into the ethical implications and transformative potential of AI in our society. She examines how AI is shaping industries, education, and communities, while addressing the need for responsible and human-centered innovation.
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United Nations Commission on the creation of a Scientific Panel on AI
Presenting to the UN Committee on the formation of a Scientific Advisory Panel on AI. We also seconded calls by other presenters to ask the committee to move future convenings out of New York, so as to make it possible for delegates to attend from more countries, given the historical and current circumstances in the United States. Post: Consultation on the governance of the UN’s Scientific Advisory Panel on AI. Post on LinkedIn.
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United Nations Commission on the creation of a Scientific Panel on AI
Consultation on the governance of the UN’s Scientific Advsory Panel on AI. Posted on LinkedIn.
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Université de l’Alberta Conférence Annuelle: Les leviers du pouvoir dans l’IA
Les leviers du pouvoir en IA
Conférencière : Tammy MacKenzie
Congrès du Campus Saint-Jean de l’Université de l’Alberta, le 25 avril 2025, Edmonton, AB (Canada). -
What We Do Not Know: GPT Use in Business and Management
This systematic review examines peer-reviewed studies on application of GPT in business management, revealing significant knowledge gaps. Despite identifying interesting research directions such as best practices, benchmarking, performance comparisons, social impacts, our analysis yields only 42 relevant studies for the 22 months since its release. There are so few studies looking at a particular sector or subfield that management researchers, business consultants, policymakers, and journalists do not yet have enough information to make well-founded statements on how GPT is being used in businesses. The primary contribution of this paper is a call to action for further research. We provide a description of current research and identify knowledge gaps on the use of GPT in business. We cover the management subfields of finance, marketing, human resources, strategy, operations, production, and analytics, excluding retail and sales. We discuss gaps in knowledge of GPT potential consequences on employment, productivity, environmental costs, oppression, and small businesses. We propose how management consultants and the media can help fill those gaps. We call for practical work on business control systems as they relate to existing and foreseeable AI-related business challenges. This work may be of interest to managers, to management researchers, and to people working on AI in society.
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Pre-conference workshop: Université de l’Alberta Conférence Annuelle
We were pleased to sponsor the 2025 Campus St Jean Annual Conference of the University of Alberta. Two Aula Fellows were present, and offered a workshop for faculty. The event was well attended. As Fellows, we were happy to receive feedback that the workshop empowered faculty to continue conversations on the complexities of AI in society and at the University, outside the conference and into their fields of work. Some of the attendees have since joined us as Fellows.
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World AI: Women in AI
The Aula Fellowship were present, to discuss social and environmental concerns to do with the marketing of AI as a panacea. The event brings together technology companies, civil society, and decision-makers. We were able to connect with other non-profits and universities in this sector, and to build collaborations with several attendees and presenters.
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Les leviers du pouvoir dans l’IA
La camaraderie Aula est fièr de commanditer la conférence annuel la faculté du campus Saint Jean de l’Université de l’Alberta. Notre directrice, Tammy Mackenzie, y présente les leviers du pouvoir dans l’IA dans la société albertaine et de la francopĥonie. Le tout dans le but de remmettre le pouvoir décisionnel dans les mains des gens qui sont impliqués: nous tous.
Pour en savoir plus, voir: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/campus-saint-jean/congress/index.html
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Easy to read, easier to write: the politics of AI in consultancy trade research
AI systems have been rapidly implemented in all sectors, of all sizes and in every country. In this article, we conduct a bibliometric review of references in recent consultancy reports on AI use in business, policymaking, and strategic management. The uptake of these reports is high. We find three positive factors: focus on client-facing solutions, speed of production, and ease of access. We find that the evidentiary quality of reports is often unsatisfactory because of references-clubbing with other consultancy reports, references to surveys without transparency, or poor or missing references. To optimize the utility of consultancy reports for decision-makers and their pertinence for policy, we present recommendations for the quality assessment of consultancy reporting on AI’s use in organizations. We discuss how to improve general knowledge of AI use in business and policymaking, through effective collaborations between consultants and management scientists. In addition to being of interest to managers and consultants, this work may also be of interest to media, political scientists, and business-school communities.
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Towards regulating AI : A natural, labour and capital resources perspective
Policymakers who are looking at artificial intelligence (AI) applications are thinking about what we as a society want to achieve and what we need to protect, yet it is not commonly known that AI apps require intensive natural resources, labour and capital.