TELUS Wise expands with new Responsible AI online workshop for teens

VANCOUVER - Today, TELUS announced the expansion of TELUS Wise, launching its TELUS Wise Responsible AI online workshop. Coinciding with the celebration of the 10-year anniversary of TELUS Wise, the Responsible AI workshop underscores the program's decade-long leadership in providing digital literacy education. According to a recent survey by KPMG, more than half of Canadian students over 18 regularly use AI and 81 per cent believe it will be a critical skill for the future, making it an opportune time to introduce education resources on the topic to support Canadian youth. Offered free of charge, the new, online workshop was created in partnership with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), helping teens better understand the AI landscape, including what it is, what it’s capable of - and importantly, what it’s not. The uniquely tailored AI workshop for teens is available online in English and French and can be completed individually at home in about 60 minutes. Teachers can also share the workshop with students as a group in a classroom setting.

“As a global-technology leader, we have a responsibility to ensure that our customers and communities not only have access to emerging technology, but are empowered to use it safely,” says Jill Schnarr, Chief Social Innovation, Communications and Brand Officer, TELUS. “Celebrating its 10-year anniversary this month, for the last decade TELUS Wise has been at the forefront of empowering students, parents, educators and seniors with the tools, resources and information they need to stay safe in our increasingly digital world. The expansion into AI is a critical next step to help young Canadians navigate this rapidly evolving technology in a responsible manner.”

“The explosive growth and accelerated development and application of AI has the potential to fundamentally change the way we use technology to not only communicate, but live, work and access information. Our vision is that Canada will continue to have one of the most robust AI ecosystems in the world,” says Elissa Strome, Executive Director, Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, CIFAR. “We’re thrilled to partner with TELUS Wise on the development of their AI workshop for youth, a complementary learning resource to CIFAR’s bilingual online course Destination AI, where you can learn more about what AI is and how it impacts Canadians.”

Since 2013, TELUS Wise has delivered various interactive, and innovative, youth-focused workshops including TELUS Wise footprint, TELUS Wise impact, TELUS Wise in control and TELUS Wise happiness. The program also offers workshops for adults, parents and seniors, further helping people of all ages have a positive experience online. Topics include protecting your online security, privacy and reputation, identity theft, rising above cyberbullying, digital well-being, artificial intelligence and more. In addition, much of the content has been gamified using the Kahoot! platform, making learning about digital literacy and citizenship more engaging and fun. The program has also driven national campaigns to help end cyberbullying, supporting the Amanda Todd Legacy Society and the advocacy efforts of Amanda’s mother Carol. With a commitment to leveraging technology, resources and compassion to help drive positive social change, since 2013, over 660,000 people have participated in the TELUS Wise program, with 92 per cent of participants saying the initiative left them more empowered to stay safe online.

This newest workshop builds upon TELUS’ commitment to responsible AI; in addition to this latest TELUS Wise initiative, TELUS is the first telecom company in Canada to sign ISED’s new voluntary code of conduct for generative AI, which seeks to ensure the transparent, equitable and responsible development of GenAI technology.

To learn more or access the free TELUS Wise workshops and resources, visit telus.com/wise.

The Pan-Canadian AI Strategy at CIFAR drives cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of diverse AI leaders, and fosters cross-sectoral collaboration for  innovation, commercialization and responsible AI adoption. Our three National AI Institutes – Amii in Edmonton, Mila in Montréal, and the Vector Institute in Toronto – are the vibrant central hubs of Canada’s thriving AI ecosystem. Funded by the Government of Canada, we’re building a dynamic, representative, and rich community of world-leading researchers who are creating transformative, responsible AI solutions for people and the planet.