Alan Mackworth
@alanmackworth.bsky.social
Scientist, AI researcher, roboticist, professor emeritus. Coauthor “Artificial Intelligence: Foundations of Computational Agents” http://artint.info 🇨🇦
"It's stealing intellectual property. These systems have been trained on the entire internet without any regard for copyright. So people's photos, videos, books, etc. have been essentially stolen," says UBC computer scientist Dr. Alan Mackworth. @alanmackworth.bsky.social @cs.ubc.ca bit.ly/4ecCn3C
'It's a big bet': What impact could big AI data centres have in Vancouver?
As advocates rally against them, two experts warn against betting too hard on AI while acknowledging its usefulness if used ethically.
bit.ly
Canada released its draft AI strategy today that will modernize online safety laws to protect Canadians in the digital age. However, it doesn't specify what those modernizations will look like. Here's what UBC AI pioneer Dr. Alan Mackworth recommends. @alanmackworth.bsky.social @cs.ubc.ca
Can Canada constrain AI?
Dr. Alan Mackworth — professor emeritus with UBC Computer Science — has been studying AI since the 1970s. He’s served as president of the…
bit.ly
Dr. AlanMackworth has been studying AI since the 1970s. In this conversation the UBC Computer Science professor emeritus discusses the challenges of regulating AI, if age-based bans make sense and how chatbots are trained to flag harmful actors. @cs.ubc.ca @alanmackworth.bsky.social bit.ly/4tw1enz
Can Canada constrain AI?
Dr. Alan Mackworth — professor emeritus with UBC Computer Science — has been studying AI since the 1970s. He’s served as president of the…
medium.com
Congratulations to authors @davpoole.bsky.social and @alanmackworth.bsky.social on receiving the 2026 AAAI/EAAI Patrick Henry Winston Outstanding Educator Award 🎉 Learn more about 'Artificial Intelligence: Foundations of Computational Agents' 🔗 https://cup.org/4sjPDI8
“We just can't rely on the companies to voluntarily stand up,” says Dr. Alan Mackworth, UBC computer science prof. emeritus. “There needs to be some public accountability by having a regulatory agency with enforcement powers to check standards.” @cs.ubc.ca @alanmackworth.bsky.social bit.ly/3N2V3rH
What the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting reveals about regulating AI | CBC News
Can AI systems reliably detect real threats? And where’s the line between safety and privacy? Following the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., questions are mounting about what artificial intellige...
bit.ly
Several points: 1) Iran's regime is odious. Its citizens deserve support. 2) That does not mean an attack will help. 3) Canada will find it hard to be so selective in its support for international law. 4) Canada does not benefit from a US administration unbound by the US constitution.
Mark Carney@mark-carney.bsky.social · 6mo agoMy statement on Iran-related hostilities in the Middle East:
"[Duty to report] obligations are enshrined in law and/or professional ethics. Similar obligations should be placed on social media and AI companies." @alanmackworth.bsky.social discusses AI safety as OpenAI is called to Ottawa over the Tumbler Ridge shooter's AI interactions buff.ly/eHBfD9t
Eby says it looks like OpenAI could have prevented 'horrific' Tumbler Ridge killings
VICTORIA - British Columbia Premier David Eby said it "looks like" OpenAI had the opportunity to prevent the recent mass shootings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., in which nine people died,
thecanadianpressnews.ca
Computer scientist Dr. Alan Mackworth said that many professionals, such as teachers and doctors, have a "duty to report" any suspected case of harm to or abuse of a minor. "Similar obligations should be placed on social media and AI companies." @cs.ubc.ca @alanmackworth.bsky.social bit.ly/4ayhYnU
OpenAI safety reps called to Ottawa after Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting: minister | CBC News
Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon has called representatives of OpenAI to Ottawa to discuss safety concerns after learning the killer in the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., was banne...
cbc.ca
UBC Computer Science Professors Emeriti Alan Mackworth and David Poole were awarded the AAAI/EAAI Patrick Henry Winston Outstanding Educator Award for developing free online resources to learn foundations of AI. Congratulations! Read more: www.cs.ubc.ca/news/2026/02...
Yesterday, @mark-carney.bsky.social may have given the most important speech of our era. Whether it proves to be so, however, depends on what happens next. If Canada is serious about charting a third way, it must act—notably in deploying to Greenland, and saying no to the "Board of Peace."
This post to Truth Social requires an immediate response from the international community and either impeachment or invocation of the 25th amendment by Congress. Republicans, you are sleepwalking the world towards an entirely preventable catastrophe.
Delighted to receive this award with @davpoole.bsky.social. @cs.ubc.ca @aaai.org Talk details here aaai.org/conference/a... #ai
AAAI-26 Invited Speakers - AAAI
aaai.org
Gautam Kamath@gautamkamath.com · 7mo agoThe Patrick Henry Winston Outstanding Educator Award went to Alan Mackworth (@alanmackworth.bsky.social UBC) and David Poole (@davpoole.bsky.social UBC). At #AAAI2026, they'll be giving a talk "The Essence of Intelligence is Appropriate Action..." Sunday Jan 25 8:30AM @aaai.org @hadihoss.bsky.social
Canada must not do this. It is a mockery of international political governance, legitimizing the idea that Trump can simply push aside other countries' sovereignty. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Carney mulling $1B membership to Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’
The Canadian PM said the POTUS invite came "a few weeks ago."
politico.com
Honourable @evansolomon.bsky.social - my question to you is why isn't the GoC considering banning X considering the harm that platform is doing and the obvious We-Don't-Give-A-Shit attitude of its owner? Let's get this trending, people! #BanX #BanGrok
Senator Paula Simons 🇨🇦@senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social · 7mo agoIn 2024, I rose in Senate QP to ask why the Govt of Canada was still using X for official communications. Today, they are still there. What exactly will it take to break the spell?
Thousands of people on X are using Grok to create sexualized images of adults + minors wearing minimal clothing. This not only violates X's own content policy, it may violate the guidelines of Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store: www.wired.com/story/x-grok...
Why Are Grok and X Still Available in App Stores?
Elon Musk’s chatbot has been used to generate thousands of sexualized images of adults and apparent minors. Apple and Google have removed other “nudify” apps—but continue to host X and Grok.
wired.com
In 2024, I rose in Senate QP to ask why the Govt of Canada was still using X for official communications. Today, they are still there. What exactly will it take to break the spell?
The Hill Times@hilltimes.com · 7mo agoA proliferation of sexual deepfakes on X has prompted other countries to investigate Grok, the platform’s AI software, but, so far, Ottawa remains silent. www.hilltimes.com/story/2026/0...
There’s an epidemic of people using Grok to do sexual violence to women on Twitter. Yet Canadian politicians, media etc have failed to adopt another platform en masse, making it near-impossible to fully disengage and be tapped in to vital conversations and information. What are we doing.
It's well past time for Canadian government officials to get off of X, @jameswsthomson.com writes. This latest — disgusting — incident is just one more reason.
Canadian government officials, what are you still doing on X in 2026?
The platform's own chatbot started posting sexualized material of children and other people who couldn't consent. With no moral bottom in sight, it's well past time our officials found other ways to c...
nationalobserver.com
Highly recommended read for anyone in AI/Robotics. Complete with @rodneyabrooks.bsky.social's usual acerbic wit and hype-busting. Nice elucidation of the distinction between situated AI and embodied AI, with an argument that we need both. #AI #robotics
Rodney Brooks@rodneyabrooks.bsky.social · 8mo agoJust published my annual predictions update, tracking from Jan 1st 2018, with new commentary and new ten year predictions. It is long. rodneybrooks.com/predictions-...
UPDATE: If you want to speak (in person or by phone) at tomorrow's important city council meeting – at which these proposed Vancouver budget cuts will be considered – you can sign up here (BUT NOTE: the deadline to sign up is 5:00pm today, Nov 11): vancouver.ca/your-governm... 🧵...
Request to speak at a Council meeting
Request to speak at a Council meeting
vancouver.ca
Seth Klein@sethdklein.bsky.social · 9mo agoVancouver mayor plans to eliminate city's climate & sustainability dept. This would spell an end to the city's national leadership in urban climate policy. Great reporting by @mfawcettatkinson.bsky.social & @natashabulowski.bsky.social If you disagree... www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/11/n...
more to be said here than could ever fit in such a short article but it covers some of it, and happy to get a few quotes in it (no paywall I think) www.cnet.com/tech/service...
AI Lies to You Because It Thinks That's What You Want
AI is being trained to please users and, in doing so, is becoming indifferent to the truth.
cnet.com
Excellent talk by Joëlle Pineau at the Reinforcement Learning Conference (RLC 2025) youtu.be/PZcaMKxljxc?...
Joelle Pineau, Beyond Bellman's Legacy - RLC 2025
YouTube video by Amii
youtu.be
The 3rd edition of "Artificial Intelligence: Foundations of Computational Agents" by @davpoole.bsky.social & @alanmackworth.bsky.social is freely available. artint.info You can order a hardcopy of the book for 30% off and free shipping through mid-September: lnkd.in/gzbyUpKt Code: 102519 #AI
I was interviewed by the journalist Jessica Nordell for her newsletter. We discussed some deep questions related to AI touching on humanities, politics, & dualistic assumptions underlying the conception of "intelligence" in AI. I hope you will read it! jessicanordell.substack.com/cp/166912581
How Your Cheese-Powered Baby Trounces AI
An O.G. AI Researcher on How Being Social and Cultural Makes us Intelligent--and Whether Machines Can Ever Learn Empathy
jessicanordell.substack.com
Off-cycle faculty position in AI at Queen's University School of Computing!! employment.cs.queensu.ca/2025/05/06/c... The framing of the position is so that it opens the pool to both anyone who does research in an AI sub-field, or uses AI largely for their research (AI applied to X). 1/3
Computational Intelligence Faculty Position - Employment Opportunities - Queen's School of Computing
employment.cs.queensu.ca
Revisiting this classic from Paul Cisek today- "Resynthesizing behavior through phylogenetic refinement" link.springer.com/content/pdf/... Fave figure: "conceptual taxonomy implicit in mainstream cognitive science" ––which the article proceeds to systematically undermine/dismantle
Dear Democrats + American "friends" Even when your president says it is "unlikely" that he will use military force against our country it still worthy of a resounding response. Right? But we hear crickets. You might be okay with the end of the rule of law. Not us. www.ctvnews.ca/world/articl...
Trump says ‘highly unlikely’ U.S. ever uses military force to annex Canada
U.S. President Donald Trump says it is 'highly unlikely' the United States would ever use military force to annex Canada.
ctvnews.ca