Centre for Media, Technology & Democracy

Gen(Z)AI: National Youth Forums on AI — Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy

You don't need to be an AI expert to participate! We want to hear about your real experiences as young Canadians navigating AI technologies because your perspective matters and deserves a platform.

Click here to sign up and learn more: tinyurl.com/5cj7h2mt

Participants will attend 1 in-person forum (Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, or Vancouver), 3 virtual forums, and a final hybrid session in Ottawa to concretize policy recommendations and share your ideas with policymakers.

About Gen(Z)AI: We are partnering with @mila-quebec.bsky.social and the Dialogue on Technology Project to convene 100 young Canadians (aged 17–23) to deliberate on the future of AI and propose policy recommendations to ensure Canada’s AI strategy works for everyone.

This is your last chance to sign up for Gen(Z)AI! Applications close at 5PM ET on October 17th. Participants will then be selected through a lottery process that reflects the demographic makeup of Canada.

Check out Panel 1: Mapping The State of Climate Disinformation, where @sonjasolomun.bsky.social (Deputy Director at the Centre) and fellow panelists discussed the current landscape of climate disinformation.

#climate #climatecrisis #climatechange #cdnpoli

Presented by the @maxbellschool.bsky.social, @thewalrus.ca, and the Centre, Climate at a Crossroads was a riveting day of insights and conversation about how to ensure democratic governance in this new and contested climate crisis landscape.

Climate at a Crossroads Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Didn't make it to Climate at a Crossroads? You can watch the full conference recording here: tinyurl.com/24e23wd5

The Canadian Information Ecosystem during the 2025 Federal Election

🚨Our 2025 Federal Election report is here and it should serve as a warning for Canada to act now to protect future elections.

Canada’s 2025 federal election upheld its integrity, but exposed a digital ecosystem under mounting strain.

Read on to learn about our key findings 🧵

Climate at a Crossroads Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

You can watch the livestream here: tinyurl.com/24e23wd5 or at thewalrus.ca

Tune in to hear Deputy Director at the Centre, @sonjasolomun.bsky.social, in panel 1: Mapping The State of Climate Disinformation.

Be sure to check out Climate at a Crossroads today! This day-long event from @thewalrus.ca and @maxbellschool.bsky.social, in partnership with the Centre, brings together global experts to explore how climate disinformation is restraining progress. 🧵

Gen(Z)AI: National Youth Forums on AI — Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy AI & Information Integrity: January 30 - February 1

These sessions are your chance to:
✅ Learn about the forums & how to apply
✅ Meet the project leads & youth fellows
✅ Ask questions before applying
Register here: tinyurl.com/4tabx6wp

Gen(Z)AI will bring together 100 young Canadians to explore AI’s impact through forums in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver & Halifax — creating real recommendations to make AI safer & more trustworthy.

📢 Want to learn more before applying to Gen(Z)AI?
We’re hosting two national Info Sessions where youth (17–23) can ask questions & hear from the team about this exciting new project:
🗓️ Oct 6, 8PM ET
🗓️ Oct 14, 5PM ET

Gen(Z)AI: National Youth Forums on AI — Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy

Applications are now open!

If you’re 17–23 and passionate about the future of AI & democracy, apply today 👉 tinyurl.com/ydntye26

Participants will work with leading experts, deliberate with peers, and co-create evidence-based micro-recommendations to improve public trust & safety.

Insights will flow into a national plenary in Ottawa, where select participants will present directly to policymakers.

Together, we'll tackle big questions about AI:
🤖 Chatbots
📰 Information Integrity
🔐 Data Privacy
🧑‍💻 Age Assurance

Introducing Gen(Z)AI — the first national youth engagement initiative on AI in Canada.

Over the next year, we'll bring together 100 young Canadians across 4 regional forums:
📍 Toronto
📍 Montreal
📍 Vancouver
📍 Halifax

As a generation that both uses AI and will be deeply affected by it, your perspectives matter.

Now’s the time to ask: how do we want to live, think, and interact with AI?

🚨 Calling all young Canadians (17–23): help shape the future of AI in Canada!

Billions are being poured into AI, but what Canada’s AI future looks like isn't clear. That’s why we need your voice in the conversation. 🧵

Welcoming Anna Jahn as Executive Director of the Newly Merged Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy — Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy We are thrilled to announce that Anna Jahn will be joining McGill as Executive Director of the newly merged Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy and Media Ecosystem Observatory. Anna will also s...

Read the full announcement here: tinyurl.com/4xc7wzbp

With Anna’s vision and leadership, we’re entering an exciting new chapter of scaling our impact, expanding innovative research, and shaping global conversations on democracy in the digital era. Welcome, Anna!

#Democracy #DigitalGovernance #AI #Policy

"What draws me here isn't just the urgent questions we're tackling - how AI shapes democratic processes, how platforms influence public discourse - but the Centre's unique approach to answering them [by bridging] the gap between rigorous research and policy impact."
- Anna Jahn

Anna's experience includes:
➡️ Leading global AI governance work at Mila
➡️ Creating the AI Policy Fellowship & Indigenous Pathfinders in AI at Mila
➡️ Directing the Action Canada Fellowship Program

She will be leading the newly merged Centre for Media,Technology and Democracy, which will bring together the work of @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social and the Centre. We will continue building on both teams’ strengths to advance research and policy leadership.

Anna will also serve as Associate Professor of Research at the @maxbellschool.bsky.social, bringing deep expertise at the intersection of technology, governance & public policy.

We’re thrilled to welcome Anna Jahn as the new Executive Director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at McGill University! 🎉

Left To Their Own Devices is available now, wherever you get your podcasts.

🔗 Listen on Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/89hxh2cv
🔗 Listen on Spotify: tinyurl.com/yx6m8d2b

Armed with questions and a year to investigate, Ava traveled across the continent.

She met:
🎧 Teens in 12-step programs for social media addiction
🎧 Girls wrestling with compulsive porn use
🎧 Boys blackmailed by international cybercriminals

At 12, host Ava Smithing (Centre Youth Fellow and Young People's Alliance Advocacy Director) spiralled down a social media rabbit hole that nearly cost her life.

A decade later, she learned she wasn't alone: Big Tech had quietly rewritten childhood for an entire generation.

We handed kids the most powerful technology in history. Then we walked away.

New podcast Left To Their Own Devices from Paradigms and the @thestar.com explores what happened next. 🧵

#Podcast #PodcastLaunch #TechandSociety #onlinesafety