Panel
The Case for Public AI
Can public AI enable both broader economic benefits of AI tech for society, and positive impacts on democratic processes? What would public-private partnerships look like to build public AI for Canada and values-aligned partners?
DATE
Apr 18, 2026
START TIME
3:50 p.m.
END TIME
4:50 p.m.
LOCATION
OCAD U Main Campus
Lorelei Kelly
Principal, Public Good Group
Michelle Nie
Visiting Fellow, the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
Ann Fitz-Gerald
Director, Balsillie School of International Affairs
Jake Hirsch-Allen
Director of Partnerships, the Dais
Bruce Schneier
Security Technologist; Author, Rewiring Democracy
Ana Serrano
President & Vice Chancellor, OCAD University
Today’s most powerful AI tools are largely developed and owned by private companies, often with limited public oversight. The idea of “public AI” offers a different path: AI that is designed, governed, and deployed with the public interest at its core. Can public AI enable both broader economic benefits of AI tech for society, and positive impacts on democratic processes? What would public-private partnerships look like to build public AI for Canada and values-aligned partners?
