In an exciting development for the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape, TELUS has entered into a strategic partnership with Mila, Quebec’s leading Artificial Intelligence Institute. This collaboration aims to foster innovation and enhance AI applications across various sectors. Both organizations are working together to harness cutting-edge AI technologies that will benefit customers across Canada, while also focusing on ethical and responsible AI development.
“By partnering with Mila, TELUS is demonstrating its commitment to bolstering Canada’s technology ecosystem through the development of trustworthy, ethical AI,” said Pam Snively, Chief Data & Trust Officer at TELUS. “By collaborating on initiatives with the highest standards of integrity and excellence, we are ensuring that our AI advancements are not only innovative, but also responsible and beneficial to society.”
“This partnership between Mila and TELUS benefits from both organizations’ wide scope of activity, in the research sphere and in the industry sphere respectively,” said Stéphane Létourneau, Executive Vice President of Mila. “Mila is delighted to partner with TELUS, an organization which embraces open science research and its importance, to explore AI research and solutions that could positively impact a broad range of sectors.”
TELUS, known globally for its leadership in responsible AI, has been making significant strides in this space. It recently achieved a global milestone by becoming the first company worldwide to have its generative AI (GenAI) customer support tool certified under the ISO 31700-1 Privacy by Design standards. Additionally, TELUS was recognized with the Outstanding Organization award from the Responsible AI Institute, further solidifying its commitment to building trust and using AI for societal good. Earlier this year, TELUS became the first Canadian telecom company to sign the Government of Canada’s voluntary code of conduct for generative AI, a move aimed at ensuring transparency and fairness in AI technology development. The company also shared key insights from its inaugural TELUS AI report, which surveyed nearly 5,000 Canadians—including diverse communities such as Indigenous Peoples, racialized groups, and those from the LGBTQ2S+ community—to gather their views on AI.
The partnership is partly inspired by Mila’s Indigenous Pathfinders in AI program, an initiative that TELUS strongly supports. Through this program, TELUS provided scholarships to four participants, enabling them to attend the ALL IN AI event in Montreal, held on September 11 and 12, 2024. These scholars also had the opportunity to participate in TELUS’ Purple Teaming workshop at the event, where they explored the capabilities of Fuel iX, a cutting-edge enterprise-grade generative AI engine.
“Translating generative AI’s groundbreaking capabilities into real solutions is a critical step in realizing amazing outcomes for our customers and communities,” said Jaime Tatis, Chief Insights Officer, TELUS. “Through our collaboration with Mila, TELUS is dedicated to fostering the growth of AI talent in Canada and to building state-of-the-art AI technology that solves real challenges that will benefit customers.”
As TELUS continues its journey in responsible AI innovation, it remains committed to ensuring that AI advancements serve societal needs, with a focus on transparency, equity, and trust. To learn more about TELUS’ approach to ethical AI, visit telus.com/ResponsibleAI.
