TMU PhD student wins EU competition, takes AI policy proposal to Brussels

Ferworn and their partner, Riley Martens, a health care AI researcher from the University of Calgary, created the policy framework Getting to the Same PAIGE. PAIGE is an acronym for an AI literacy plan with sectoral focus: public, academia, industry and government for education.

Their proposal aims for transparency, equity and trust in AI education.

Each sector gets three goals:

1. Hub - Hybrid spaces to build engagement
2. Toolkit - Tangible resources to empower learning
3. Measure - Evaluation to support ethical practice

"It's vital... AI is here, increasingly so. We've all heard of people falling in love with AI chat bots." says Ferworn. Policymakers, civil servants, middle managers, they are all making decisions on AI usage. We want them to have all the information, to have a working understanding of the technology and associated risk."

Building a strong partnership

The challenge required two-person teams. Ferworn hesitated at first, but Martens reached out after they met through TMU's NSERC Responsible AI program.

"The other students competing majored in economics, in law and international relations," says Ferworn. "Both of us have a STEM background with no [formal] background in policy."

But their technical expertise set them apart. Martens brought expertise in health care, while Ferworn brought expertise in computer science.

Presenting before the jury in Ottawa