Some pre-pandemic predictions suggest AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy in 2030. However, the onset of the pandemic has introduced previously unforeseen challenges to the adoption and further development of digital technologies which may alter the speed of diffusion and pace of technical change.

The objective of this project is to deliver: (1) up to date broad-based evidence on the shifting landscape for organizations and workers, (2) evidence about shifts in predictions for future skill requirements, and the digital technologies’ effects on the future path of job creation and disruption, and (3) a review of policies that may help smooth the transition for workers and organizations. 


Team

Principal Investigators

Photo of professor Lyons

Prof. Lyons is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Information who is cross-appointed to the Dept. of Computer Science, an IBM Toronto Lab CAS Faculty Fellow, and a Faculty Affiliate of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. She has authored numerous articles on knowledge mobilization in industrial settings based on NSERC-funded collaborative  research and  industry partnerships, and has recently organized several workshops devoted to exploring the future impacts of AI and data science on industry, diversity, and privacy issues. She is currently co-leading (with Prof. Alexopoulos) a research project funded by UCL And University of Toronto on COVID 19 Challenges, Economic, Individual, and Societal Impacts of Pandemic Responses on Cities with E. Lomas and A. Walford (UCL). She was the scientific lead in the development of a 2018  Networks of Centres of Excellence application (the Advanced Data Science Alliance – ADA) that brought together 124 researchers in 28 disciplines from 27 academic institutions, to engage with 51 industry partners and government policy makers with the goal of creating a multi-sectoral and trans-disciplinary national research network.  

Photo of professor Alexopoulos

Prof. Alexopoulos, who was an academic co-leader of the ADA NCE’s Employment, Economy, Policy, Diversity, and Training research theme, is a Professor of Economics who is cross appointed to the Faculty of Information. She is a Fellow of the Bank of Canada, a Canadian Productivity Partnership collaborator, and a Faculty Affiliate of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society and the School of Cities. She is a macroeconomist who has authored a number of papers on business cycles, technical change, economic uncertainty, labor markets and productivity and is a qualified legal expert in the fields of technical change, applied econometrics and macroeconomics. Her recent research focuses on creating measures of technical change based on text analysis of publications and patterns of library acquisitions. Her research, supported by a number of public and private grants, has been presented at numerous central banks, international conferences, academic departments, and the National Academy of Sciences. Profs Lyons and Alexopoulos have the breadth of cross-disciplinary knowledge and expertise needed to comment on and review the issues for this project. They will jointly address all parts of the project and will oversee and train research assistants to aid in the collection and analysis of the literature and data. 


Research Assistants

Photo of Amanda Yang

Amanda Yang is pursuing a Masters of Information degree in Critical Information Policy Studies through the Faculty of Information from the University of Toronto. She has obtained a bachelor’s degree in Justice, Political Philosophy & Law from McMaster University. Amanda works at the Gerstein Science Information Centre to support the instruction, research, and capacity-building for systematic and scoping review services, serving researchers, students, librarians, and faculty staff in the University of Toronto community. She is also involved in developing a living COVID-19 Information Guide with a Gerstein librarian team providing emerging research and resources for healthcare professionals, researchers, and the general public. 

Photo of Hetav Pandya

Hetav Pandya is pursuing a Bachelors of Computer Engineering with AI Minor through the faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. He serves as the Vice President – Academics at the University of Toronto Machine Intelligence Student Team (UTMIST) where he is responsible for planning and execution for academics events, supervising the progress of academic projects and organizing the annual MIST Conference.

Photo of Kaushar Mahetaji

Kaushar Mahetaji is a Master of Information candidate at the University of Toronto, focusing on Critical Information Policy Studies. Prior to joining the Faculty of Information , she completed her BSc in the Honours Integrated Science program at McMaster University, concentrating in biochemistry. Currently, Kaushar is an intern at the Gerstein Science Information Centre, where she supports the assessment, maintenance, and development of health science print and electronic collections and resources. She also assists with the creation of teaching material for knowledge syntheses workshops and the design and documentation of comprehensive search strategies.

Photo of Keli Chiu

Keli Chiu is a graduate student in Information at the University of Toronto with the concentration in Human-Centred Data Science. Before enrolling in iSchool, she worked as a web developer in startup companies where she had gained strong technical and collaboration skills. She had grown a tremendous interest in data science and analytics over the years and that passion led her to pursuit a Master in Information. Her research interests are natural language processing applications, text analysis and ethics in AI and machine learning.

Photo of Marcia Diaz

Marcia Diaz-Agudelo is a multidisciplinary designer and is also a first year Information student at the University of Toronto. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Design from Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. Marcia works as a staff designer at Open Privacy Research Society and has worked as a designer on projects in the intersection of design, technology and social justice such as the Digital Justice Lab. Marcia also works as an illustrator and has exhibited her work in Toronto and Mexico City.

Photo of Priscilla Layarda

Priscilla Layarda is a third-year economics specialist at the University of Toronto and a recipient of the full-ride Lester B. Pearson scholarship. She won the 2020 University of Toronto Excellence Award in the Natural Sciences and Engineering (UTEA-NSE) research grant to study complex problem-solving in teams with the Bernhard-Walther Lab. Previously, Priscilla was a lead analyst at the G7 Research Group, leading a global network of scholars in assembling, verifying, and disseminating information and analyses on G7 members’ compliance with their summit commitment to reduce global digital inequality. Priscilla is an active pro-bono strategy consultant at 180 Degree Consulting and is currently chairing the Debates & Dialogue Committee at Hart House, hosting esteemed keynotes and panel discussions with experts, frontline workers, and policymakers on socioeconomic issues.