Recent strides in artificial intelligence (AI) and the internal upheaval at industry titan OpenAI have spotlighted Montreal as a pivotal center for ethical considerations in AI. At the forefront is Yoshua Bengio, hailed as the Canadian "godfather of AI," who, along with Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun, received the 2018 Turing Award for groundbreaking work in deep learning. Bengio expresses concern about AI surpassing human intelligence, emphasizing the rapid pace of AI development and the potential creation of a new entity capable of harmful decision-making.

In an interview with AFP at his Montreal residence, Bengio's warnings gain significance in light of OpenAI's recent executive turmoil. The reinstatement of CEO Sam Altman, amidst accusations of downplaying risks in advancing the ChatGPT bot, underscores the challenges and competition within the AI startup landscape. Bengio has long cautioned against hasty advancements without ethical guidelines, emphasizing the need for universally followed rules across companies.

Bengio's Mila research institute, a hub comprising over 1,000 AI researchers in Montreal, has become a focal point for AI exploration. Situated alongside research facilities of tech giants like Microsoft, Meta, IBM, and Google, this concentration of expertise led to the 2018 Montreal Declaration for a Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence, a global AI charter prioritizing responsible AI integration into society.At a landmark AI summit in Britain, Bengio spearheaded a team tasked with producing an inaugural report on AI safety. This initiative aims to set priorities informing future endeavors in securing cutting-edge AI technology. The Mila institute's collaborative efforts extend to societal impact studies, with 220 researchers advising governmental policies and fostering public awareness of AI's potential positive and negative consequences.

Beyond academia, artists in Montreal contribute to "demystifying AI." Sandra Rodriguez, a digital media teacher at MIT, showcased her latest VR art installation at AFP. This immersive experience invites participants to engage with an AI-inspired by linguist Noam Chomsky, revealing the algorithmic nature behind seemingly complex interactions. Rodriguez believes that Montreal serves as an ideal playground for exploring AI's potential and limitations, urging the integration of art to encourage public inquiry into the ethical and societal dimensions of AI.