Culturally Speaking: Decoding Bias in Artificial Intelligence Technologies

In an era where artificial intelligence shapes decisions across policing, healthcare, finance, hiring and everyday digital life, it is imperative to look beyond the surface of the systems we increasingly trust. Join University of Calgary Professor of AI & Law, Dr. Gideon Christian, for a timely and thought-provoking exploration of hidden bias in AI technologies. This engaging presentation will unpack how AI systems can reproduce and amplify existing bias and inequalities. Together, we will examine the assumptions embedded in data, interrogate the structures that shape technological design, and chart a path toward a more accountable and inclusive digital future. This is more than a conversation; it is a call to awareness and action in the digital age. This is not the time to merely imagine a more equitable technological future; it is time to be part of the conversation and to help shape the responsible development of AI technologies in our communities.

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Speaker: Dr. Gideon Christian is an Associate Professor and University Research Chair in AI and Law at the University of Calgary

Biography: Prior to joining the University of Calgary, Dr. Christian was technology lawyer with the federal Department of Justice where he deployed technology in high profile litigation involving the Government of Canada. His research interests are in artificial intelligence and law, legal impacts of new and emerging technologies among other areas. Dr. Christian’s research seeks to identify elements of racial bias in laws, policies and in emerging technologies. He has appeared before the House of Commons Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) as an expert in the use of AI in immigration decisions. He was named by the Calgary Herald as one of the top 20 Compelling Calgarians in 2024. He was the recipient of the 2026 Canadian Bar Association (Alberta) and Law Society of Alberta Distinguished Service Award in Legal Scholarship — the most prestigious legal award to a legal academic in Alberta.