Reconciliation
TELUS Leads AI Ethics Innovation at UN AI for Good Summit 2025
Aug 14, 2025
As the world's leading technologists, policy-makers and change agents gathered in Geneva for the United Nations AI for Good Global Summit, TELUS was on the ground to help shape a more equitable digital future—one where artificial intelligence serves all communities, not just a few.
From climate change to healthcare access, AI holds immense promise to solve pressing global challenges. But to unlock that promise, technology must first earn people's trust. That was the message TELUS brought to the global stage: responsible AI starts with respect—for individuals, communities, and the diverse perspectives that make up our world.
Leading with trust in the age of AI
As a global technology company with deep expertise in connectivity, digital health, and AI innovation, TELUS demonstrated its commitment to developing technology that prioritizes transparency, accountability and human impact. The company's participation at the 2025 AI for Good Global Summit reinforced that commitment, and highlighted its leadership in ethical innovation.
Pam Snively, Chief Data & Trust Officer at TELUS, second from right, speaking to ‘Transforming telecoms with AI and ML’ panelists.
As a member of the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) AI Skills Coalition, TELUS contributed to multiple sessions during the five-day summit. These included knowledge-sharing forums focused on responsible AI development, inclusive governance, and the company's uniquely collaborative approach to technology design—one that involves its team, partners, and the communities it serves.
Bringing Indigenous intelligence to the forefront
Generating great interest was a TELUS-hosted workshop titled: "Crafting ethical AI with Indigenous intelligence: Partnering with Indigenous Peoples for innovative solutions."
Workshop hosts Marissa Nobauer, TELUS' Director of Reconciliation and Community Engagement; Jesslyn Dymond, TELUS' Director of AI Governance & Data Ethics; and Shani Gwin, CEO of pipikwan pêhtâkwan and a member of the TELUS Indigenous Advisory Council.
The session demonstrated how TELUS has been working alongside pipikwan pêhtâkwan, an Indigenous-owned, led, and majority-staffed public relations agency, to bring Indigenous values and worldviews into AI development. It also explored how two-way learning—combining Western innovation with Indigenous knowledge—can lead to more ethical, inclusive technologies.
The workshop featured tools like:
- wâsikan kisewâtisiwin, an AI solution designed to help identify and correct unconscious bias toward Indigenous Peoples in written materials
- Fuel iX, a TELUS-developed platform delivering AI literacy training that empowers users with practical understanding of AI systems
Speakers included Marissa Nobauer, TELUS' Director of Reconciliation and Community Engagement; Shani Gwin, CEO of pipikwan pêhtâkwan and a member of the TELUS Indigenous Advisory Council; and Jesslyn Dymond, TELUS' Director of AI Governance & Data Ethics. Together, they offered insight into what it means to build AI with—not just for—communities who have historically been excluded from the tech conversation in a way that benefits everyone.
Turning responsible AI principles into action
TELUS' presence at AI for Good built on a strong foundation of leadership in AI governance and ethical design and a commitment to industry collaboration. In recent years, the company has:
- Become the first in the world to achieve ISO 31700-1 Privacy by Design certification for its generative AI-powered customer support tool
- Become the first Canadian company to embrace the Hiroshima AI Process (HAIP) Reporting Framework
- Published itssecond annual AI Report, presenting the perspectives on AI from Canadians across the country
- Been featured in the Business at OECD report, Boosting Productivity and Business Growth – the Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Skills, as a case study, highlighting the company's AI literacy efforts as key drivers of value across diverse lines of business
- Established robust internal frameworks for responsible AI, including cross-functional governance teams focused on transparency, bias mitigation and risk management
These milestones were part of a larger TELUS
commitment
: to ensure that emerging technologies are developed in ways that advance human wellbeing and accelerate progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.An invitation to shape the future
TELUS encouraged the public to take part in the AI for Good Global Summit by registering online to access livestreams, recordings, and on-demand content. The summit's programming—available for free on the
AI for Good YouTube channel
—provided a unique opportunity to hear from some of the world's foremost voices in technology, ethics, and sustainability.As AI continues to evolve, so too must our collective approach to building it. TELUS' message in Geneva was clear: ethical innovation is not just possible—it's necessary. And it starts by putting people first.
To learn more about TELUS' approach to responsible AI and data ethics, visit
telus.com/trust
or download the latest TELUS AI Report at telus.com/responsibleai
.
